Never mind unsatisfactory PPE last year, I've interviewed a carer in Walsall for tonight's Newsnight who says that even today PPE in the care sector isn't sufficiently high quality and can be inconsistent.
She also says lack of sick pay is still causing problems
She also says lack of sick pay is still causing problems
Zoe says there's "still people who have got one mask for a whole day or who are running out of gloves and having a few shifts where there's no gloves...the PPE that we do have is in no way consistent at all..."
...So some deliveries will be really good quality. Sometimes we'll get aprons that rip as soon as you touch them, we'll get gloves that have holes in."
Her PPE is the same type of stuff that they had before the pandemic. Says the problem is especially acute in domiciliary care.
Her PPE is the same type of stuff that they had before the pandemic. Says the problem is especially acute in domiciliary care.
I've reported on the problems the lack of sick pay in the sector has caused throughout. It STILL is.
Zoe also works as a GMB rep. Recently she came across a home where the staff, "when they get paid every month, put £10 into a thing so that they can go and get food packages..."
Zoe also works as a GMB rep. Recently she came across a home where the staff, "when they get paid every month, put £10 into a thing so that they can go and get food packages..."
"...so when another carer's off sick,they can give them a food package so that they can afford to eat because they won't get sick pay.
When you think that people are working for companies that are making so much £££ and these are full time workers and they're having to feed..."
When you think that people are working for companies that are making so much £££ and these are full time workers and they're having to feed..."
"...each other, if somebody is off sick, it's awful, really. So definitely an anger that I think after all this attention, nothing's changing."
She says that fear of losing time off work is driving vaccine hesitancy, fear if they get sick from side effects they'll lose time.
She says that fear of losing time off work is driving vaccine hesitancy, fear if they get sick from side effects they'll lose time.
There's also a wider fear she says is common at her home, fear among care workers that the vaccine might affect their fertility. This isn't true but has become ingrained. She said as a result staff 40% of staff at her home haven't got the jab.
Says she thinks there needs to be action by companies and govt to address this head on.
More on Newsnight shortly, make sure you're watching.
More on Newsnight shortly, make sure you're watching.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
