Councillor calls on MP to back £29 extra a day for frontline NHS staff

Wrekin parliamentary spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats Thomas Janke has called on the Wrekin's MP to back a campaign to reward NHS staff for putting themselves in harm's way.

Iraq veteran Cllr Janke has asked Mark Pritchard MP to support a campaign to reward NHS and care staff on the front line of the COVID-19 fight with £29 per day extra - the same reward active armed forces personnel receive for active deployment.

"When my unit was deployed on Operation Telic in Iraq, the country recognised the danger we were facing, and was rewarded financially with an additional £29 a day on top of our salaries," Cllr Janke highlighted. "It may not sound like much, but it is at least an important gesture that recognises personnel putting themselves in harm's way. Those amazing doctors and nurses are now on the front line in this new war against COVID-19 and are risking their lives every day, they too deserve our recognition."

The campaign, launched by the Liberal Democrats, also calls for a package of measures to support health and care staff, including more urgency in tackling the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), and government support for the funerals of staff who die in service.

"When our NHS staff are facing this unprecedented threat on our behalf, in some cases without the protection they need, I think it is time to reach out across party boundaries, and pull together to demand that these heroes are given the support and recognition they deserve," emphasised Cllr Janke.

• You can sign up to support the Lib Dems' Front Line Support package here