COVID-19 testing for Health and social care staff. ALL of us. 

It has been announced by Boris Johnson that testing for COVID-19 will be increasing from 10,000 to 25,000 per day, and that they will be ‘prioritising testing’ for all NHS staff.
This is excellent news for all of us that work in health and social care!......Well, maybe not all of us?

Residential and nursing homes across the country, are crying out for PPE and COVID-19 testing. Our frontline staff, who often come to work earning a minimum wage, are being exposed, and put at risk without this test. And they too, deserve the same priority, as all of our amazing NHS staff. 

I am a registered manager for a home that supports people with learning disabilities, and have complex health needs. Some of these individuals are at an extremely high risk of becoming very unwell should they get COVID-19. The staff that support them are strong and resilient, but they are also scared, for themselves, for their families, and for the people they support and care for.

Our frontline staff, extend far beyond the NHS.  It is the unsung heroes who work long hours, often for minimum wage, because they love what they do, and because they are passionate about caring for, and making a difference to people’s lives. 

So what happens when many of us get the common ‘cough’ that comes around every year. We are now told to stay home for 14 days, and of course we respect this, because we want to protect the people we care for, and all others who are vulnerable. BUT...a cough does not mean we have COVID-19, and we are taken away from doing our job. This leaves those staff who are left behind, overwhelmed with the work. And all the while...we may just have the common, seasonal...cough/cold. 

I am petitioning for ALL health and social care workers to be tested. Now. Not later. So that we can get back into work. To do our job. 

Please, treat us equally