Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to support NHS staff who contracted covid-19 while working and who are now unable to work as a result of developing long covid.

For National Health Service staff on national terms and conditions, sick pay support already provides up to six months full pay, followed by up to six months half pay depending on length of service. In addition, in March 2020 we introduced temporary COVID-19 full sick pay for NHS staff, subject to regular review, providing an additional level of support.

Staff experiencing the symptoms of ‘long’ COVID-19 will also be supported through NHS England and NHS Improvement’s 5-point plan which provides support for patients experiencing long-term effects of COVID-19. Further information on the plan is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/