Call To Action! We Are Going Back To London!

Earlier this month, the solicitors representing keyworkers with occupational long Covid, who are suing their NHS Employers (and others) met with NHS England and Wales to agree a way forwards to trial.

Unfortunately, despite lengthy discussions, they were unable to reach an agreement.

The current NHS England and Wales stance is to stay ALL claims until the end of the U.K. Covid Inquiry (which is NOT legally binding) and to go to a trial of the abstract legal issue of non-delegable duty only, devoid of any context or evidence from any claimants or defendants.

Essentially, what this means for those pursuing claims is that our already long, nearly FIVE year wait for justice will continue, that we will not ‘get our date in court’ as we should and is our right.

In the last few years we have seen this petition of then 126,000 (now over 130,000) signatures delivered to Downing Street, the APPG on Coronavirus recommending a compensation and pension scheme along the lines of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, the TUC and Long Covid Support survey on employment. We have seen our own surveys, plus those of the Scottish Healthcare Workers Coalition and Long Covid Scotland, amongst others. There has been significant television programme coverage, including BBC Panorama: “Forgotten Heroes of the Covid Frontline”, as well as ITV’s “Breathtaking”. There have been interviews and articles across television, radio, online and in print media.

All telling the stories of keyworkers with occupational Long Covid.

And we continue to be IGNORED; by our employers, by our Governments.

In the meantime, keyworkers across the U.K. have been losing their jobs, their careers, facing unemployment alongside what may be long-term ill-health. Many have battled to get the benefits they are legally entitled to, often waiting months or even years for resolution. We know of multiple cases where our colleagues across sectors are being DENIED medical retirement on the grounds that we might improve with “future treatment”. WHAT treatment? There is none and long Covid clinics are CLOSING.

This is an almost TOTAL loss of financial support. Many have lost their homes. Many have young families to support. And all because they contracted Covid, then developing occupational Long Covid from working on the front lines of the pandemic.

Many of our European counterparts have been able to access compensation, yet the U.K. governments continue to deny the plight of THOUSANDS of us.

That’s why, today, we call you to action. We don’t do this lightly, knowing that many of you remain very unwell. That said, the time has come to stand up for what is right. Together we are #LongCovidStrong. For friends, family and supporters: You clapped us every Thursday for months. Now we ask you to back and stand with us.

We would therefore like to invite any of you who are able to stand (metaphorically, as some of us now need wheelchairs!) with us outside the Royal Courts Of Justice, London, on Wednesday 23rd October at 10am (gathering for 9.45am). Let’s stand together and show the U.K. Government, our (former employers) and Senior Master Cook (the hearing judge) that #EnoughIsEnough. NOW is the time to do the right thing by Keyworkers affected by the pandemic and go to trial.

We hope this action will bring the very real reality of the lives of keyworkers with occupational long Covid back to the fore, gaining attention, and getting this trial date set.

While this case, which Keyworker Petition Campaign team support, is predominantly for NHS keyworkers, we will continue to use this platform to challenge the U.K. governments to do the right thing by ALL Keyworkers, whether NHS, social care, teaching, police, communications, transport, posties, armed forces, retail - anyone who went out and put themselves at risk of long term disablement or worse - and continue to.

Please share this widely across social media. Let’s fill social media with OUR Long Covid stories. The time to act was four years ago: The time for justice is NOW.

Please sign up to come on Eventbrite. We may need to give authorities a rough idea of numbers. More information on that site!