The RCN urged the UK government to ensure that those living with long COVID are given access to the financial support they need to live their lives, as we marked International Long COVID Awareness Day at RCN headquarters.
Since 2022, RCN members have called the RCN advice line to seek support for long COVID 2,289 times. That's an average of 2 calls a day. This highlights the ongoing effect of long COVID on nursing staff and the need for urgent government intervention on this issue.
In November 2022, the UK government's Industrial Injuries Advisory Council recommended COVID complications should be recognised as having been acquired at work, giving staff routes to access vital industrial injuries and disablement benefits.
More than 2 years on, the UK government still refuses to recognise COVID as having been acquired at work. In November 2024, we wrote to Liz Kendall, Secretary of State in the Department for Work and Pensions, urging ministers to act. We have not received a response.
We marked the long COVID awareness day and the 5-year anniversary of the pandemic with our members at an event at RCN headquarters on 15 March, paying tribute to the vital role that nursing and the wider health and care workforce played during the pandemic. The event also recognised the lasting impact of the pandemic on the nursing workforce, including the effects of long COVID.
The programme was filled with reflections on the pandemic, highlighting RCN support for members experiencing long COVID, and updates on the COVID-19 Inquiry, with time for inspiring and engaging discussion among members.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger opened and closed the event and acknowledged the challenges faced by nursing staff, including long COVID, mental health issues, and financial losses. On the lack of support for nursing staff experiencing long COVID, she described the situation as "shameful" and urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to intervene.
The RCN continues to advocate for better support and compensation for nursing staff, ensuring their voices are heard and lessons are learned from the pandemic.
Keynote speaker Flo Panel Coates shared her insights on the past, present, and future of COVID-19. After stepping down from her role as executive chief nurse at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2023 to focus on her recovery from long COVID, she continues to inspire others with her strength.
Above: Keynote speaker Flo Panel Coates knows the effects of long COVID from personal experience
A Q&A panel session chaired by Patricia Marquis, Executive Director of RCN England, included Rose Gallagher MBE, RCN Professional Lead for Sustainability, and RCN Fellow Dr Ruth Oshikanlu MBE. Delegates engaged in discussion around the impact of the pandemic on social care, the disproportionate effect on global majority nursing staff, and how the nursing workforce rose to the challenge.
Chief Nursing Officer for England Duncan Burton also had a powerful message for delegates. He acknowledged the resilience and adaptability of health care workers, their crucial role in the vaccination programme, and the lasting physical and psychological effects of the pandemic. He added that nursing staff should continue to inspire the next generation, demonstrating the rewarding and diverse opportunities offered by a career in the health care profession.
