'It could be a decade before I see any compensation' says Devon woman taking NHS to court
Rachel Hext is one of a number of healthcare workers taking legal action
Last updated 11th Mar 2024
A Devon mum-of-two says she’s worried it could be a decade before she knows if she’ll get compensation after contracting long covid while working for the NHS.
Rachel Hext is one of around 70 taking the NHS to court by a Plymouth-based law firm over claims it failed to provide adequate PPE - with more groups now also looking to join the case.
The 36 year old is currently unable to work and looking at 'ill health retirement'.
Last week she and others travelled to London for a High Court hearing and were advised to join up the various claimants with a potential follow up now expected in the Autumn - although a trial could be 2026 at the earliest.
Mrs Hext said: "Having just been to court in London I think a lot of people will think well she can get up to London, what's the problem really?
"What I will tell you is halfway back on the train I hit the wall with a vengeance with headaches, freezing cold, the fatigue is just crushing.
"I can literally wake up in the morning and I could have had 10 hours' sleep and I feel like I've not been to sleep and it feels like wading through concrete - I have widespread pain top to bottom and my words start to slur."
Rachel admitted even giving an interview did make her struggle at times because of the difficulties with Long Covid.
"I'm trying to think of what I want to say but getting it out is actually quite tricky," she said.
"I think we all knew that when any of us went down the legal route of putting in a personal injury claim that it wasn't going to happen overnight - and this three-year limitation about putting in a claim gives people an idea of how long they think these things are going to take.
"The reality is when you're suing quite big organisations there's a lot more that gets in the ways and delays things.
"I think ultimately most of us were hoping that by the time we started these claims - that by the time that job losses were happening or ill health retirement or whatever the situation is for these people - that we might be looking at some compensation.
"The reality is I'm about to lose my job and it's probably going to see six or seven years before I see anything and that's even if we win - so it's a long old time isn't it."
In response the Department for Health hasn’t commented on the legal case - but says it’s committed to learning any lessons which emerge from the ongoing Covid inquiry.