Many feel like they have no other option but to cancel Christmas Day or break the rules.
Hundreds of thousands of nursing staff and essential workers face having to cancel Christmas after new lockdowns rule fail to take into account those working to keep essential services running on Christmas Day.
Under a temporary relaxation of the lockdown rules due to Christmas, people may choose to form an exclusive Christmas bubble on Christmas Day with people from no more than three households.
With an estimated 100,000 nurses and 60,000 nursing assistants working on Christmas Day, the arrangements have left healthcare staff disappointed and feeling like they have no other option but to cancel Christmas Day or break the rules.
Those who have been working on the frontline since March say they have been hit especially hard by the disappointing news.
Amy Taylor, a healthcare support worker from Essex, said that she was looking forward to spending a well-deserved day with family on Boxing Day. She said; “My children are beyond disappointed. We were looking forward to seeing mine and my partner’s parents and having a little bit of normality – just for one day.
“We had arranged to treat Boxing Day like Christmas Day but now we can’t even do that. I’m not sure how to tell my children that Christmas Day is basically cancelled because I have to work. I have never felt so guilty.”
She added; “those working on Christmas Day in hospitals and for other essential services have essentially been completely forgotten about.”
Anthony Johnson, Lead Organisor for the grassroots campaign group Nurses United UK, added; “Throughout this entire pandemic we’ve seen how the decisions of this Government has led to greater harm to our patients and colleagues on the frontlines.
“It will be infuriating after all the claps, the lack of PPE and the pay freezes that this Government has now decided to steal Christmas from hard-working nurses.
“Boris Johnson needs to do more to care for carers and I hope that every nurse working is given break time to at least speak to their loved ones and have a somewhat joyful Christmas.”