Care fit for carers: Ensuring the safety and welfare of NHS and care workers during and after Covid-19

Article

Covid-19 is one of the most significant threats our country has faced in modern times. The prime minister has gone as far as to compare it to a wartime event. But war, and events like it, always requires a change in the social contract. The first world war had ‘homes fit for heroes’; the second world war ‘from cradle to grave’. Covid-19 must see similar intervention: ‘care fit for carers’.

This report provides new evidence on the experience of the healthcare workforce during Covid-19 to date – from IPPR/YouGov polling of healthcare workers and the general public; an IPPR consultation; and from literature review. It shows that without further bold action in the days, weeks and months to come by the UK government and NHS England (and the NHS in the rest of the UK) the country’s healthcare workforce will face significant health, mental health and welfare challenges.

The UK government must not be sparing in providing the health and care workforce what they need. After all, they can only do right by us, if we do right by them. 'Care fit for carers' means making five core guarantees.

  • A safety guarantee.
  • An accommodation guarantee.
  • A mental health guarantee.
  • A pay guarantee.
  • A care guarantee.

To better understand what social care workers need during this crisis, IPPR ran a consultation through the sector. Read the responses to this consultation here.

Related items

  1. Assessing the economy

    Over the past few days and weeks, there has been lots of rather histrionic commentary about the UK’s economic situation as if the budget has created an economic disaster from which we’ll never recover.
  2. Cargo ship with shipping containers docked at Felixstowe

    Towards a UK trade strategy

    The UK is facing a precarious and volatile period for global trade.

  3. Change you can board: Delivering better, greener buses

    The bus services bill is an opportunity to ensure reform really means thriving, green 21st century local bus networks in England.