Is the NHS payment going to all NHS workers or just the COVID frontline?

[Tamingofthehamster]

Because a lot have nhs have had the easiest year ever with ops being cancelled etc, so is it going to be targeted?

Exactly @Christmasbiscuit

Well annual bonuses are standard in many, many businesses. Plenty of industries are still getting one this year (friends in engineering, sales, oil, insurance and banking to name a few!) As far as I know normal NHS Agenda for Change staff don’t get bonuses so that will be nice for them. It would be nice if she’d announced similar for all local government workers too. There’s been massive changes to people’s work and cash in the hand is a nicer way of showing that they are appreciated than clapping in the street? I don’t begrudge it and as a family we’ve had some shockingly poor experiences of the nhs and care sector this year.

I remember years ago SNP sniping about people in poverty and food bank usage etc and lo and behold they have a huge unspent amount in their budget ring fenced for just those types of circumstance. Posted about it at the time and got the party faithful going on about how it's not that easy to distribute etc.

Pretty easy just to pay some dosh to valid food banks to stock up in the interim no?

@Brex5hit

Bedazzled you're annoyed the FM doesn't want the recipients of the bonus to pay tax on it?

I don’t think I said that anywhere? I do think if the Scottish Government want to give the recipients £500 then they should get £500 - but the Scottish Government should pay for it. All of it.

@HijabiVenus

Following this as dh is a manager in a GP surgery. As an Amercan I've been keeping an eye over there. Trump arranged a 1200 dollar payment for all US taxpayers with extra for those with children. Went to all. Looks like there will be another one on the new year as Stimulus 2 was agreed by Biden and Trump. Could Wur Nicola do that for all Scots taxpayers? Or would the usual suspects be moaning "no fair the rich are getting it too".

This isn't true (fake news as Trump would say), there was an income cut-off point to receive the stimulus. Currently living in the US

a bonus of £500 in a secure job or 80% of your normal wages and then a potential loss of job and having to go through the Universal Credit process... hardly comparable.

Maybe more people will consider a career then in the NHS, plenty of entry level jobs if people are so envious of them working through the shitshow that was this year :)

@Backbee

a bonus of £500 in a secure job or 80% of your normal wages and then a potential loss of job and having to go through the Universal Credit process... hardly comparable.

Maybe more people will consider a career then in the NHS, plenty of entry level jobs if people are so envious of them working through the shitshow that was this year :)

That doesn't help anyone in the short-term unfortunately.

@Rosiethepig

Hadn't realised it was for social workers I thought it was just social care workers.

Must be a kick in the teeth for all the people who have or are soon to lose jobs especially the hospitality sector!

Especially as they will have funded it with tax.

It also now transpires that the SG knew before they announced this about the tax and UC implications so it seems it’s deliberate to target blame at evil WM. They could have factored the tax in of course. Or even better, just fund healthcare and social care properly.

They’ve really misjudged the public mood on this one, it seems.

I think it's a lovely gesture in what has been a shit year. I may not save lives directly but I ensure staff get paid. Nhs is a team operation, no one area runs it. We all depend on each other.

Some NHS dentists were remobilised to work on the front line as HCAs and in district nursing teams. Therefore they fully deserve the same payment that other front line staff are getting.

'the public', consisting of nobody but the weird wee clique of yoon mumsnetter that turn every single thread on Scotsnet into a moan about the SNP.

Bejazzled what do you mean the SG should pay for it- all of it? It is all coming out of the SG budget ? The UK Government is applying tax on it hence why people won't receive the full amount.

@XDownwiththissortofthingX

'the public', consisting of nobody but the weird wee clique of yoon mumsnetter that turn every single thread on Scotsnet into a moan about the SNP.

Exactly the reason why I don't post much on Scotsnet for fear of being lynched. (creeping back into my SNP cupboard)

Well, in my experience a lot of people have been shafted by the NHS this year. Cancelled dentists, no GP services, no mental health services, cahms stopping seeing people etc. Much of the NHS just hasn't been 'open for business'.

I'm.paid by the government and have worked throughout btw

Wouldbegood so the SNP are bad because they didn't calculate every individuals tax and added on whatever amount each person pays in income tax so that each individual receives £500?

Honestly.. and they're being 'divisive' by asking that the full amount is given to the workers?

@IndecentFeminist

Speaking as a CAMHS consultant, we haven’t missed a day. We’ve been working throughout and have never been busier.

I'll get the money and don't agree with it ( I did work all the wsy through). Money should be put toward growing the economy not another hand out.

Saw a post by our local health board saying to go canny with the GP service requests as demand was back to pre covid times. Another about how everyone should be dialling the 111 service before attending A&E so that will put off folk who should be going and the junkies etc will rock up as usual.

@Brex5hit

Wouldbegood so the SNP are bad because they didn't calculate every individuals tax and added on whatever amount each person pays in income tax so that each individual receives £500?

Honestly.. and they're being 'divisive' by asking that the full amount is given to the workers?

Yes because it’s disingenuous.

How can HMRC differentiate between bonuses to “worthy” employees and less worthy? That just wouldn’t be fair. Either all bonuses are taxable or none are.

I think taking this as an opportunity to rethink such low pay for essential nhs staff such as HCAs and porters, cleaners etc, as well as care staff would have been a better thing to do. And less divisive.

A shop assistant could legitimately be pretty pissed off about funding a bonus for a consultant on £100,000, with a private practice too

@WouldBeGood

I think taking this as an opportunity to rethink such low pay for essential nhs staff such as HCAs and porters, cleaners etc, as well as care staff would have been a better thing to do. And less divisive.

A shop assistant could legitimately be pretty pissed off about funding a bonus for a consultant on £100,000, with a private practice too

I agree.

Made me absolutely furious and I am NHS Bank Staff who put my life on the line in a covid assessment unit for MONTHS, getting coughed on, the lot - while filling in shielding or sickness gaps! Someone else on here said they arnt NHS but have done sleepover care - what about them? She said only "Fulltime" meaning perminant NHS contract I assume. Its disgusting.

Everyone who has worked through this shit storm are heros so well done.

I think the tax thing has seriously backfired on them tbh. Had she just announced the £500 thank you she could have come across as being generous etc. (although there would still be questions about some workers being more ‘deserving’ than others). But the frankly weird bit about not having the power to take off the tax and practically begging Boris Johnson to let people keep every penny just comes across as picking a fight with Westminster to garner votes and makes them look petty and insincere. If she really believed the tax was important it is well within her power to increase the gross amount so the amount in the hand is the same, which avoids issues around setting precedents for bonuses and pitting one bonus against another. All tax goes to the Scottish government anyway so she wouldn’t even be out of pocket.

How about they give £500 to the 3 million self employed who've been excluded from Government support and are now losing their savings, homes and businesses?