Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about NHS pay in Scotland.
Healthcare is a devolved matter here in Scotland, and so responsibility for NHS Scotland rests with the Scottish Government. I am pleased that the UK Government has worked to ensure that NHS Scotland is properly funded, by increasing overall funding for the Scottish Government by £2 billion in last year’s budget.
The Scottish Government will also receive an additional £2 billion per year by 2023 as a consequence of the UK Government’s announcement of an extra £384 million per week for the NHS, plus an additional £6.5 billion provided to the Scottish Government by the Treasury since March in response to the coronavirus crisis. It is up to the Scottish Government whether to spend this extra funding on the NHS or allocate it elsewhere.
I believe that the passion, commitment, and specialist knowledge of our NHS staff is part of what makes our NHS so special. For that reason, I am encouraged that the Scottish Government has used its resources, including the significant additional allocations it has received from the UK Government, to ensure that NHS staff were given a 9 per cent pay rise between 2018 and 2021. This was much needed to offset tax rises in Scotland.
I am proud of our NHS staff, and would like to thank them all for their continued dedication and hard work.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Kind regards, Alister