Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ni Chuilín has called on the Minister of Health to ensure care home and domiciliary care staff receive their long overdue COVID recognition payment.

The North Belfast MLA said:

“It’s unacceptable that many staff social care, community pharmacy and GP staff continue to wait for their payment in the mouth of Christmas.

“I am pleased that so far that applications for the payment for almost 8,000 social care workers have been processed. It is important that GP and community pharmacy staff are processed at the same speed and time.

“The health minister has also confirmed that Health and Social Care Trusts have just received information on what the additional funding for domiciliary care will be for, including temporary increases to rates of pay.

“I urge the minister to ensure that in the face of rising living costs and pressures on families that the COVID recognition payments are in workers’ bank accounts before Christmas.”