P-05-964 Extend covid-19 financial support and paid leave to vulnerable and pregnant NHS wales bank workers, Correspondence – Petitioner to Committee, 04.01.21

I am disappointed with the last response from Vaughan Gething, which did not directly show a clear commitment to supporting medically vulnerable / shielding NHS bank workers throughout Wales. This is greatly relevant at the current time when the second wave of Coronavirus is at its peak and those that received a shielding letter in the first wave, have again been sent shielding letters out again in Wales. 

I have already had contact with an NHS bank worker who during the first wave was reportedly left without financial support, and on receiving another shielding letter in the past week, was given the same response by the NHS bank office at their health board as in the first wave. I gave recommendation they recontact their health board again in light of health Secretary Vaughan Gethings response to this petition and am yet to hear back to whether their health board will be offering additional support.

 It would be greatly beneficial to medically vulnerable NHS bank workers who returned to work after the first wave of coronavirus to see a universal, clear and concise public commitment from Vaughan Gething and the senedd to support them throughout Wales, if told to shield; rather than a response based on the decisions of individual health boards, that may present inequality in support offered region to region.

I strongly believe this support for public sector NHS bank workers should equate to the same financial support accessible to private sector workers who unlike public sector NHS bank workers are eligible for furlough payments of up to 80% of there wages until March, rather than SSP (maximum £95.85 per week) or ESA (maximum £74.35 per week). 

I would appreciate clarity to the actual support offered in Wales for these workers. 

Kind Regards,