Question reference: S6W-00114
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 20 May 2021
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the role played by private agency workers in supporting health and social care systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
The Scottish Government is deeply grateful for the role that all health and social care workers have played during the Covid-19 pandemic, whether employed directly or through agency contracts.
Our health and social care systems have experienced extraordinary levels of service demand during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although permanent recruitment is always the primary solution to NHS staffing needs, we have encouraged NHS Boards to make full use of NHS bank, agency and locum staff where necessary, to address immediate staffing needs during the emergency stages of the pandemic.