A submission to the government-appointed independent review of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic was presented by Divisional Head Kevin Figgis at the Care Sector Annual General Meeting (AGM) last month.
SIPTU’s submission examined nursing home workers’ experiences during the pandemic, identified systematic operational failures and included feedback from frontline workers.
The purpose of SIPTU’s submission was to document the lived experience of members working in nursing homes during Covid-19, focusing on working conditions in public, private and voluntary nursing homes during the pandemic.
It was also to ensure that frontline worker voices informed the independent evaluation of Ireland’s response to the health crisis. It will contribute practical lessons for future public health emergencies and for how we respond to them from the government, our health service and society.
The Covid-19 Evaluation Panel, chaired by Professor Anne Scott, will compile a report on how the government managed the pandemic between 1st January 2020 and 28th February 2022.
Our submission represented healthcare assistants, multitask attendants, domestic catering and cleaning staff and other workers delivering essential hands-on care throughout the pandemic within the sector.
Divisional Head Kevin Figgis presented the findings during the Care Sector AGM in March.
“The key messages from our submission are that the sector was one of the most severely affected during the pandemic, and that the government response was slow to recognise the vulnerability within the sector. If they did know about it, it highlights even further shame,” Figgis said during the meeting.
“We also found infection prevention and control structures were uneven and fragmented, with many homes isolated from public health decision-making and information. The high infection and mortality rates among residents, the delayed access to PPE, testing and clear guidance, particularly in the private sector, led to workers having to deal with extreme pressure, trauma and risk.”
He added: “The Covid-19 pandemic did not create the deep structural weaknesses in the Nursing Home sector; however, it did expose them. The pandemic demonstrated that long-term residential care must be treated as a pillar of our community.”