Source · Select Committees · Petitions Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Rejected
Paragraph: 92
We welcome the Government’s recognition that special neonatal leave and pay should be introduced for...
Recommendation
We welcome the Government’s recognition that special neonatal leave and pay should be introduced for all parents who find themselves in this situation. The Government plans to include provisions in its forthcoming Employment Bill to introduce this reform in 2023. In advance of the planned delivery of neonatal leave and pay in 2023, the Government should pilot the introduction of these reforms for those affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. If a success, the date of the general introduction of these measures could be brought forward.
Government Response Summary
The government rejects piloting neonatal leave and pay for those affected by Covid-19, explaining that such a pilot would still require complex legislation and IT systems and would not be delivered any sooner than the planned full entitlement in 2023.
Paragraph Reference:
92
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
During the Covid-19 pandemic, neonatal services have been working hard to support parents to care for their babies while still ensuring that these services are safe. Current clinical advice is that asymptomatic testing can be conducted where clinically appropriate, for outbreak investigation and infection control. Decisions relating to testing for Covid-19 are made by individual NHS Trusts based on their assessment of patient and procedural risk. The eighth week of NHS Test and Trace figures published 3 August[1] states that over three quarters of people getting a test at a regional test site or mobile testing unit received the result within 24 hours. Over 90% of people tested under pillar 1 received the result within 24 hours of the laboratory receiving the test for processing.