NEWS


OFFICER WHO NEARLY DIED FROM COVID SHARES HIS HARROWING STORY A


City of London police officer who nearly died from Covid-19 has urged his colleagues to take the


virus seriously. DC Steven Bailey fell ill in March last year and spent two months in hospital with severe symptoms. He had to be placed in an induced coma and have his heart stopped and restarted. The virus has also left a legacy of health issues. Steven, a granddad of two and a police officer for 31 years, explained: “My wife had been showing symptoms for about a week and we were both self-isolating at home. I started to get a temperature and then my breathing got a lot worse. That started about two months in hospital. “I couldn’t breathe on my own and it was then that they said ‘we going to have to put you into a coma’. They gave me my phone so I could call [my wife] Clare. I thought that would be the last time.” While in a coma,


Steven’s kidneys failed, and his heart was beating at 180 beats per minute – three times faster than normal. “I lost about three-and-a-half stone in weight and about 50 per cent of my muscle mass. I’m going to be on blood thinners and beta-blockers now for the rest of my life because of it,” he added.


Fed takes Time Limits campaign directly to MPs


Police Mutual funded a video featuring Steven, filmed at the Federation’s national headquarters in Leatherhead, to help encourage officers


to continue to take precautions.


He said: “I never expected


to get it as badly as I did have. I was a reasonably fit guy for my age. Four years ago, I ran the London Marathon. You just don’t know who it’s going to effect. I didn’t have any underlying health conditions beforehand and I’ve been left


At the time of going to press, the Federation was due to give evidence to MPs looking into the remit of the Independent Ofce for Police Conduct (IOPC). Our intention was to highlight to the Home Afairs


Select Committee the detrimental and costly impact of lengthy disciplinary investigations into police ofcers, their families and their colleagues. Phill Matthews, who leads for the national federation


on Conduct and Performance matters, said: “Protracted disciplinary investigations have ruined the careers of multiple colleagues, left a mark on their mental health, and placed pressure on their home lives and loved ones.


DC Steven Bailey


with a legacy of health conditions now. “I wouldn’t want anybody to go through what I’ve gone through and what my family have gone through. It’s pretty simple: wear a face mask, use PPE, wash your hands, sanitise and socially distance.” The City of London Police Federation has been supporting Steven through his recovery. Chair Mike Reed said: “Police officers do need to remain vigilant. Covid is real and the effects of it are quite staggering in some people. We need to make sure we’re looking after each other, ourselves and our families.”


“Public trust in the system will erode if people do not


think their complaints will be dealt with quickly. This issue is already something many complainants frequently express.” The Federation is encouraged that the IOPC is keen to


work with us, however, the issue of investigations rumbling on for more than a year continues. PFEW’s Time Limits campaign evidences the urgent


need for investigations to be concluded within 12 months from the time an allegation is made. In addition to calling for IOPC investigators to be


better trained, The Federation is asking for breaches to time limits to have consequence on the ability to proceed.


FEBRUARY 2021 | POLICE | 09


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