Scottish nursing agencies hit out at Scottish government over lack of £500 'Thank You' payment - your views online

"Why would the government pay bonuses to employees of a private company?”

Agency nursing staff are not in line for the £500 bonus

NHS bonus

Scottish nursing agencies hit out at Scottish government over lack of £500 'Thank You' payment

Quyen Lam

That bonus was for NHS nurses, ie nurses employed directly by the NHS. Agency nurses work in the NHS but are employed via an agency. It's that simple. Also agency nurses tend to earn more anyway.

David Paul

I'm an agency nurse, I work within the private sector care homes. I worked all through the pandemic, I caught Covid. I didn't qualify for the payment, nor any other agency nurse or carer. Agency staff usually choose to work agency, we are all on zero hour contracts with non guaranteed shifts. Yes, we are on normally a higher rate but we aren't paid sick time, holidays etc. It is unfair that some staff got the payment where others didn't. But the payment was originally only for NHS staff, like they were the only ones who worked through the pandemic.

Stevie Jamieson

I am very disappointed that agency staff are not getting the bonus. I have worked with many agency staff over the years as a care assistant. They are very experienced and very hard working and worked through the pandemic. I feel bad taking the bonus, knowing my agency work colleges will receive nothing. Very disappointed in this indeed.

Gav Donald

That's just like saying why are supermarket staff not getting it? Why, because they are private. Whether or not you agree with it, the company that supply the staff are private. Therefor they are a profitable business. What would be interesting to know is if these companies charged more through these testing times and made more profits at the expense of their staff.

Michelle Crease

Terrible. Agency workers worked all through the Covid crisis under lots of stress and risked their lives and family’s. Defo should have got the £500 – where would care homes have been without their help?

Heather Ford

I also worked through the pandemic and I was a 'keyworker' – no supermarkets no food. I am also an unpaid carer and should have retired last year. Westminster raised the retirement age after dipping into the pension fund. Am I complaining? No. Bonuses for companies should come from the companies.

Mary Anderson

They are ALL nurses. They are available when needed in emergency places. They should get the bonus.

Chalky Whitehead

I am sure their well inflated agency rate of pay will ensure they have not suffered though. They choose to work for an agency, so why would they expect the payment? Sorry, am I missing something here?

Jan Buckley

PRIVATE! That's all that needs to be said. Ask the people who own the agency for the £500 ‘thank you’ payment.

Donald Kilgour

In a fairer society there shouldn't be agency staff.

William Leiper

Maybe the agency that employs them and hires them out can come up with the payment? They are no doubt making a large profit hiring out their staff!

John Brown

Agency workers usually find that they earn more than their full time counterparts. Of course, they don’t have the benefits of full time employment, sick pay, holiday pay, job security etc but if this is purely down to money, which it seems to be, they earn more on a monthly basis.

Peter Anderson

Shouldn't be any agencies or zero hour contracts.

Sandy Lipp

This wouldn’t be the same agencies that make millions out of the NHS?. Surely not! Pay your own staff the £500 out of your own fat bank account.

Linda James

Privately run. The bonus was for NHS – end of.

Peter Deigan

Agency nurses generally get paid more and pick and choose when to work, I agree they don't get it.

Fraser Maclean

Why would the government pay bonuses to employees of a private company?

Cal Hamilton

All agencies pay way above the minimum wage. I was a cleaner at the Edinburgh private day case hospital at Colinton and I was bank staff. I was getting 12.50 a hour plus travel expenses.

James Brydon

Were you really expecting them to fulfill that promise? Have they ever followed through with anything?

CJ McDoodle Johnson

Many “temp” nurses work for the NHS and work as bank staff on top of this, often paid double or treble the NHS rate.

Mark Conway

Don’t you think the government has printed and given away enough free money?