Nurses with long-COVID being ‘let down by their employers’
Posted 05 December 2024 - 12:43
Survey reveals lack of support by employers, with many nurses detailing inadequate safeguarding of their health and well-being
Nurses with long-COVID who cannot yet return to work say they are made to feel like they are ‘milking’ sick leave, while the RCN says they are being ‘let down by their employers’.
Hundreds of nurses who contracted COVID-19 while working during the pandemic continue to experience debilitating symptoms four years on, including fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, shortness of breath, joint pain, physical weakness, anxiety, heart palpitations, cough and vision problems.
‘I was wearing a plastic apron, makeshift goggles and a flimsy surgical mask’
New figures from an RCN survey reveal that almost 60% of nurses with long-COVID think their employer failed to put in place adequate preventative measures for staff, including sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing, while 65% said they had not received a risk assessment before contracting COVID-19.
‘I worked in respiratory oncology. I didn’t even get a surgical mask until six weeks post-lockdown,’ one nurse states in the survey report.
Another recalls: ‘There was mask rationing and the trust stopped fit-testing staff in maternity and prioritised emergency areas such as A&E and ITU. I was wearing a plastic apron, makeshift goggles and a flimsy blue surgical mask while caring for unwell pregnant patients with COVID-19.’
‘If only employers knew how bad day-to-day life is with long-COVID’
The survey, published last month, was a follow-up to the annual RCN Employment Survey; members who indicated they were still experiencing long-COVID symptoms were invited to take part in a further questionnaire about their experiences at work.
The follow-up survey received 298 responses and revealed that almost a third of respondents had been unable to return to work at all due to the severity of their symptoms. Meanwhile, almost 70% said they had been financially impacted as they were forced to reduce working hours, take periods of sick leave or even retire.
‘Having suffered from long-COVID for 18 months, [I have been] through a rollercoaster of health issues, with little understanding from my employer, who makes you feel like you are ‘milking’ the absence,’ said one nurse. ‘If only they knew how bad day-to-day life is with long-COVID symptoms, not to mention the financial impact.’
Union calls for more awareness and education about long-COVID
The survey report lists a number of recommendations. It calls on the UK government to recognise long-COVID as an occupational disease for nursing staff who were exposed to COVID-19 through their work, and calls for financial protection for employees.
The RCN also said employers in health and social care must ensure they reduce the risk of infection, and work to improve awareness and education about long-COVID to enhance reasonable adjustments in the workplace and offer a phased return to work for nurses who need support.
Survey findings show ‘worrying disregard for safety and well-being of staff’
RCN long-COVID working group chair Alison Twycross said: ‘This report shines a light on systemic failures that cannot be ignored.
‘Many nurses, once hailed as heroes on the front line, have been let down by their employers and government policy. These findings show a worrying disregard for the safety and well-being of healthcare professionals and are unacceptable in a profession that is already struggling with staff shortages and burnout.
‘It is imperative that the government and the NHS implement these recommendations to safeguard the well-being of nurses and other healthcare workers and retain this vital workforce.'
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