As the Covid inquiry reopens today and its focus moves to the care sector, Nadra Ahmed told The i Paper that the sector was “badly damaged” by the then Tory government’s “no jab, no job” policy, announced in September 2021, which led to an exodus of 40,000 staff most of whom have yet to return.
“We lost about 40,000 people through the then-government’s ‘no jab, no job’ policy. That did a huge amount of damage and we’re not seeing those people return. Working in social care wasn’t the first priority for them anymore – if people could work in the NHS that’s what they tend to do.
Nadra Ahmed, head of the National Care Association, said the social care sector was ‘badly damaged’ by the policies of successive governments (Photo: Supplied)
Immigration reforms announced in May will also impact social care providers as they will no longer be able to recruit staff from abroad via the health and care worker visa. The paper also revealed changes to the time required to gain indefinite leave to remain (ILR), increasing it from five years to 10 years.
Bereaved people whose loved ones died in care homes in the coronavirus pandemic have urged truth and accountability from those appearing before the national inquiry. The first week of what is to be a five-week module will also hear from former health secretary Matt Hancock. He will return on Wednesday for a full-day session to face questions specifically about the care sector.
Ahmed said: “We are still living with consequences of Covid and the way the sector had to deal with it. It did erode a huge amount of resilience, but if I look at where we are today – based on what I’m hearing from providers on a daily basis on the workforce challenges, the financial challenges – the sector seems to be ever weaker. It’s almost like a crisis-management service now.
“We know what we need and want to do but there has been no investment in the sector since Covid and we came through the pandemic because of small pots of investment that came through to us.”
A lack of staff and poor conditions
“The main exception to this is greater awareness, so much having been learned by care staff and managers about infection control through the experience of living through that health emergency,” she said.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, she hoped the upcoming NHS 10-year plan would be a ‘third time lucky’ (Photo: Age UK/PA)
“However, most of the weaknesses that made it hard for social care to withstand Covid-19 remain today, particularly the lack of sufficient staff and the relatively poor terms and conditions that go with the job, meaning that if a care professional gets ill they may not be able to afford to take time off work. It is widely agreed that these factors contributed to the rapid spread of the virus across different care settings.”
Social care leaders hope that a generous fair pay agreement may be concluded within the next two years, with the promise of better pay for hard working care professionals, but questions remain over how it will be paid for.
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
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