UK holds a minute's silence for COVID-19 frontline healthcare victims

The UK came together on Tuesday (28) for a minute’s silence in the honour of hundreds of healthcare and other workers who have lost their lives on the frontline of the coronavirus fightback across the country.

British prime minister Boris Johnson led the tributes with chancellor Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street for the National Health Service (NHS) and other key workers across care homes and public transport at 1100 am local time.

So far 82 NHS staff are known to have died after testing positive for the coronavirus, including many with their roots in India.

The chief people officer at the NHS, Prerana Issar, said that the NHS England is considering how to formally commemorate all those who have died while working to care for others once the state-funded health service is through the peak of the virus.

“The NHS family will come together to pay tribute to all those across the health and care sector who have lost their lives to coronavirus,” said Issar.

“Everyone of them, whatever job they were doing, were making a difference and helping others. That’s why we will be joining this nationwide moment – to remember those we have lost, and honouring all that they did for us,” she said.

The tribute comes as the government announced a new time-bound insurance scheme for the families of such public sector healthcare workers who lost their lives while on duty during the pandemic, with a £60,000 Life Assurance Scheme.

“Financial worries should be the last thing on the minds of their families so in recognition of these unprecedented circumstances we are expanding financial protection to the NHS and social care workers delivering publicly funded care on the frontline,” said UK health secretary Matt Hancock.

“Nothing can make up for the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic. We owe a huge debt to those who die in service to our nation and are doing everything we can to protect them.

“We will continue to strive night and day to provide them with the support and protection they need and deserve to keep them safe as they work tirelessly to save lives,” he said.

He said that bereaved family members will receive a £60,000 lump sum, worth roughly twice the average pensionable pay for the NHS staff, with the cost met by the government.

This will cover full, part-time or locum NHS and public health workers, including general practitioners (GPs), dentists, retired staff and second and final year students taking up paid frontline roles.

While the details of the scheme are yet to be finalised, it is expected that overseas doctors from countries such as India should also be eligible for this compensation – covering their families who may be based in the countries of their origin.

The scheme is aimed at those who die from coronavirus during the course of their essential and lifesaving work. This includes those providing direct care as well as cleaners and porters who continue to carry out vital duties in these care environments.

The British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors’ union lobbying for such a “death in service” protection, welcomed the new scheme but called for more details to ensure it goes far enough.

“Whilst this single payment may seem a sizeable sum, it comes nowhere near compensating families for the lifetime income their loved one may have earned if they hadn’t died prematurely, fighting this crisis on the frontline. This is particularly true for young or recently qualified staff,” said Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA Pensions Committee Chair.

“Increasing numbers of families are dealing with the loss of a loved one as the death toll for frontline workers rises, they should not also face a future without financial security. The BMA will be examining closely the detail of the government’s Life Assurance Scheme,” he added.

The coronavirus cases in the UK has reached 158,348 while 21,092 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University tracker.