On the 25th May, VAHPA and all other public sector unions sent a letter to the relevant Government Ministers regarding public sector health services planning to cease the Covid Special Leave payment. 

We have had a major win! 

It has now been confirmed by Government that the payment will be continuing!

This is an important health and well-being win for Allied Health Professionals and all other health workers, as COVID enters a winter peak.

See the original letter to the Ministers below:

Dear Ministers,

The COVID-19 pandemic has now moved from an emergency/acute response phase into a period of rolling waves of hopefully lower peaks but with a baseline of significant ongoing burden on the health system. With the ending of the Pandemic Orders, the health services have reverted to largely self-managing their response. During the acute Covid response, the Department of Health was supporting services with policy and guidance material to inform local decision making and risk management, but this has now largely shifted back to the health services managing their own situation.

One of the foundational supports throughout the pandemic response in Victoria has been the paid special leave for healthcare workers who tested positive for Covid. This has been consistently supported by the Government, implemented by the health services and relied upon by healthcare workers. The importance of isolating infectious staff from their colleagues and patients is a fundamental principle that cannot be overstated and this Covid special leave support has helped facilitate that.

Fortunately, the 7-day isolation requirement still stands for healthcare workers, but that relies heavily on staff having adequate paid leave to allow them to not attend work. With Covid waves cycling every 3-4 months, and healthcare workers not immune to getting infected, they will rapidly exhaust any personal sick leave entitlement they have. Many have already used up their entitlement due to the high rates of other viruses circulating and caring responsibilities for sick families.

We are now hearing from members that health services are planning to cease the payment of Covid special leave. This is counterintuitive to ensuring staff and patients are safe from nosocomial infections. It is also a slap in the face for a tired workforce that has given their all and weathered the storm of the worst health crisis in a century. And it is not over yet.

We have all been battling healthcare worker retention issues, and the removal of a primary support such as the Covid special leave will break the back of some workers. To lose it now would be a bad look, at a time of critical workforce shortages, and while we are currently in another Covid wave, with likely more to come.

We implore the Andrews Government to confirm it is retaining this important support for its health workforce.

Yours,

Victorian Health Unions

Danny Hill, Secretary Victorian Ambulance Union

Lisa Fitzpatrick, Branch Secretary, Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation, Vic Branch

Grant Forsyth, CEO ASMOF Vic & Director Workplace Relations AMA Vic

Matthew Hopcraft, Chief Executive Officer, ADAVB Inc.

John Ryan, Assistant Secretary Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association

Matthew Hammond, Secretary Medical Scientists Association of Vic & HSU Vic. No. 4 Branch

Diana Asmar, Secretary Health Workers Union

Paul Healey, Secretary Health and Community Services Union