The Welsh government have announced a financial support package of £60,000 to the next of kin of health workers who are killed as a result of COVID-19
The minister, pictured above (third from left) at last year’s PDA Wales conference, said
“Yesterday, many of us stood in silence for a minute to remember workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus or work-related accidents or ill health. On Monday, I announced that families of NHS Wales and social care workers who die in service as a result of COVID-19 will be entitled to financial support with a payment of £60,000. That is in addition to any other existing pension arrangements.
I know that our front-line workers are going above and beyond to care for vulnerable patients every day, and this scheme gives equal recognition to staff across health, social care and community pharmacy.
It provides a safety net for eligible staff who have delivered front-line services and who may not, perhaps, have been eligible to join the pension scheme or decided not to because of affordability, but also to those already in a pension scheme. I hope this will be of some help during a difficult time, although, of course, I recognise that a lump sum payment does not recognise the loss of a life.
You can read the official record of the announcement here
The PDA welcome this announcement by the Welsh government.
Meanwhile in England the government have decided to exclude community pharmacists and the PDA are taking a number of steps to try and get that decision reversed. Read more
We are also calling on Northern Ireland and Scotland to respect those in the community pharmacy sector and, like Wales, to confirm community pharmacists will be covered by their schemes.