NEW STUDY OF TESTS FOR THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS SHOWS OUTSOURCED STAFF HAD SKY HIGH LEVELS OF ANTIBODIES FROM HAVING BEEN INFECTED – MUCH HIGHER THAN FRONT LINE STAFF 

Any savings from outsourcing are tiny compared to the costs to society of the current arrangements which financially and in public health terms are prohibitive, says GMB London.

Sir John Bell, who oversees the Government’s antibody testing programme, said domiciliary workers in some hospitals were found to have “sky-high” levels of antibodies compared to doctors and nurses who treated patients in intensive care.

Commenting on the article published in the Telegraph, published on Saturday 4 July 2020: ‘NHS cleaners and porters were coronavirus ‘super-spreaders’ in hospitals, data reveal.’

Gavin Davies, GMB London Region Senior Organiser said:

“This is no surprise, often we find that outscored workers in the hospitals are treated as the poor relatives in the NHS families, many of whom have a shortage of PPE, They are also the unsung heroes, traveling from ward to ward. It is time that some real investment takes place to ensure these workers are protected. It is also worth noting that many of these workers have the worst terms and conditions many of whom are forced to come to work when others would isolate”.

These findings make the case that outsourcing these vital services is a very expensive mistake for society as a whole. It is essential that in future these staff are directly employed and under the full operational control of NHS decision makers. The savings from outsourcing are tiny compared to the costs to society of the current arrangements which financially and in public health terms are prohibitive.  Outsourcing must be ended without delay.

GMB London Region is calling for real investment to protect these workers and ensure safety measures are put in place, one death is one too many.