Special leave for healthcare workers with long covid reinstated

The Department of Health said the reinstatement will apply retrospectively to 1 April with no impact on sick leave entitlements.

The decision to temporarily reinstate special leave with pay for healthcare workers who have long covid was welcomed by unions and advocates on Tuesday.

The scheme had been halted at the end of March but is now available again to people who were previously included for a period of three months.

The Department of Health said the reinstatement will apply retrospectively to 1 April with no impact on sick leave entitlements.

They said the extension was sought to allow time for conciliation talks to continue with health unions.

Unions, including the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and FORSA, meet government officials before the Workplace Relations Commission on Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the INMO said: “We very much welcome the extension of this scheme to a group of predominately women who are still suffering from a myriad of symptoms associated with long covid.

“We hope this is an indication of the future approach that will be taken by the Department of Health and the HSE at the Workplace Relations Commission.” 

Fórsa’s head of health and welfare Ashley Connolly.

Fórsa national secretary for Health and Welfare, Ashley Connolly said long covid continues to be a serious health problem for hundreds of healthcare staff.

“It is essential that we can develop an agreed and permanent solution for those affected,” she urged.

“The temporary extension announced today provides a bit of much-needed breathing space for conciliation, and will provide some peace of mind for affected workers following months of uncertainty and worry.” 

Liam Quaide, a Social Democrats councillor for East Cork, works as a clinical psychologist with long covid patients in the HSE.

He said the decision will come as “a great relief” for workers.

“But we need an occupational injury scheme devised that will give them financial security and no more financial cliff edge scenarios every three months,” he said.

“They have suffered enough uncertainty over the past few years, in addition to a cruel health condition that has resulted directly from the sacrifices they made on all our behalf, working on wards and residential services at the height of the pandemic.”