What support is available for medical professionals with long COVID?

Many doctors and other healthcare professionals have been impacted by long COVID and need support – here is an update on available support

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on BMA

A proportion of medical professionals have suffered from chronic health complications which continue after acute infection by COVID-19. Support in available in the following areas.

Enhanced sick pay

During the pandemic the NHS introduced COVID-19 sickness pay provisions across the UK to ensure that when staff are absent with COVID-19 they received full pay. However, governments across the UK have announced the end of these enhanced sick pay schemes which means that NHS staff revert to normal contractual sick pay arrangements.

In England, the COVID special leave provisions ended on 1 September 2022. Staff who contracted COVID-19 after 7 July are not eligible for any enhanced sick pay arrangements and staff who contracted COVID-19 before 7 July, who are off work with a COVID-19 related illness, continued to receive full pay during a transition period from July 7 to August 31. Any period paid as COVID-19 sick leave prior to 1 September, regardless of length, will not be counted towards calculations of contractual sick pay or sickness absence triggers.

Similar arrangements are in place in Scotland, where COVID sick pay arrangements ended on 31 August 2022. In Wales, the changes took effect from 1 July but NHS staff off with long COVID can still get full pay for up to one year from when they first went off sick. Staff will then be moved to half pay under normal contractual sickness arrangements. In Northern Ireland, changes took place on 1 October 2022.

Primary care doctors

The support available for primary care doctors is less clear. Primary care has never had a clearly defined funding and management process for doctors suffering with long-COVID. Support processes are not clearly stated in any national guidance and funding support, such as the General Practice COVID Capacity Expansion Fund in England, ended in September 2021. Sick pay provisions for GP partners are dependent upon individual partnership agreements.

Locum doctors

The support available for locum doctors who are self-employed in both primary and secondary care has varied and has been unclear. Entitlement to COVID-related sick pay has often been dependent on individual contractual arrangements; in addition, most locums are not entitled to statutory sick pay unless agreed with the provider.