Kommunal, the Swedish think-tank
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, analyses the situation in a number of European countries, concluding that across the continent the sector had not been prioritised.
The report highlighted a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and workers being forced to work unlimited hours. Excessive responsibility placed on individual care workers has resulted in widespread mental-health problems. Yet many workers have been denied access to sick leave or social benefits and, as Amnesty International has documented, hundreds have died from Covid-19.
More than ever there is a need to implement prior and new demands from health and care unions. For all the applause of care workers, the praise has not been followed up and policy-makers and employers need to do more to live up to their promises and make health and care systems resilient in the face of future health emergencies.