Progress on paid leave for HSE workers with Long COVID

Proposals for a scheme for public health service employees examined.

Minister for Health Welcomes offer of Engagement with Representative Bodies on Scheme of Paid Leave for Health Service Employees with Long COVID.

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly has welcomed the HSE’s offer of engagement with health sector representative bodies regarding Paid Leave for Public Health Service Employees unfit for work post COVID-19 infection.

The Department of Health, Health Service Executive and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have been engaged on proposals for a scheme for public health service employees.

Minister Donnelly said: “The Government recognises the role of our healthcare workers throughout the pandemic. They have gone beyond the call of duty, working in frontline COVID-19 clinically exposed environments, treating COVID-19 positive patients. Many of those frontline public health sector workers contracted COVID-19 and still remain suffering from long-COVID.”

The HSE are now engaging with health sector staff representative bodies in respect of the proposed scheme.

Minister Donnelly added: “I want to ensure that eligible frontline healthcare workers, working through the most challenging phases of the pandemic, and who remain absent from the workplace on a long-term basis, are assisted and do not experience a cliff-edge in respect of the change to Special Leave With Pay. I hope the engagement with the representative bodies can be concluded quickly.”