NEW information reveals that the availability of ambulance staff in the North West may remain badly affected by Long Covid.

Tens of thousands of working days have already been lost because staff are experiencing symptoms weeks after contracting the virus.

A freedom of information request made to the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus has revealed that between March, 2020, and September, 2021, 33,654.65 full time equivalent days were lost due to staff experiencing Covid or Covid related sickness more than 28 days after contracting the virus.

In one case a member of staff had been absent from work with Covid related sickness for 544 days, with four others absent for more than a year.

Overall 398 staff members were absent from work from March 2020 to September 2021 due to Covid related sickness, for more than 28 days in at least one episode.

According to the most recent ONS statistics an estimated 1.2 million (1.9% of the population) are living with Long Covid, with fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of smell and difficulty concentrating reported as the most common symptoms.

While the trust has stated that they have made adjustments for affected staff and that they are working to support their mental health and wellbeing, the revelations have raised questions about the negative impact that Long Covid continues to have on the region’s essential public services and the lack of support provided by the UK Government.

After first raising the issue in August 2020 and writing again to the Prime Minister in January of this year, the APPG on Coronavirus are calling on the government to recognise Long Covid as an occupational disease.

They are further calling for the introduction of a Long Covid compensation scheme for frontline workers who have been impacted financially by the condition.

Barbara Keeley, MP for Worsley and Eccles South and Vice-Chair of the APPG on Coronavirus, said: “These statistics demonstrate the urgent need to recognise Long Covid as an occupational disease, provide formal guidance to employers on the issue and create a compensation scheme for key workers who have been unable to return to work.

“Many of these workers exposed themselves to the virus while saving others during the darkest days of this pandemic. The government cannot continue to ignore the sacrifices they have made while working to protect others.”

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “While much of the focus of the past two years has been on fighting the pandemic, there hasn’t been enough attention paid to the two lurking endemics that Covid is causing: in mental health and in Long Covid.

“These figures show the scale of the impact that Long Covid is having on people’s lives and their ability to work and provide for their families. Many of those suffering are frontline workers who we all stood and applauded last year. Much more needs to be done to understand and treat Long Covid and to properly support those who are still suffering from its effects.”