Political opinion: Candidate welcomes Labour pay pledge for Strathcarron Hospice workers
Labour Candidate for Falkirk West, Paul Godzik, has welcomed a Scottish Labour pledge to boost funding for hospice-based doctors and nurses.
While hospices, like Strathcarron Hospice, play a crucial role in our healthcare system and support families through some of the most difficult times of their lives, many staff are not paid to NHS levels, and the sector is under significant financial pressure due to underfunding by the SNP.
This funding shortfall has made it difficult for hospices to match NHS pay for its doctors, nurses and hospice team without cutting services. This also caused retention and recruitment difficulties for staff.
Scottish Labour has pledged to fund pay parity between Agenda for Change staff in hospices and the NHS – protecting services and giving vital hospice workers a fair deal. This has been welcomed by the sector, with Jacki Smart, the Chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group describing it as a “visible and tangible commitment to support Scotland’s hospices”.
Welcoming the Labour pledge, Paul said: “Like many local people I have had relatives and friends cared for at Strathcarron, and I know what an incredible level of care local hospice staff provide. Given the critical role hospice staff play it is hugely disappointing that the SNP Government have failed to adequately fund the sector.
“I know that Strathcarron staff go above and beyond every single day. Under a Labour Scottish Government the funding will be provided to ensure these incredible staff get the reward they richly deserve.”
Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie MSP added: “The hospice sector has been sounding the alarm about mounting financial pressures for years, but the SNP’s response has been too little too late.
“Hospices shouldn’t be forced to make an impossible choice between matching NHS pay and protecting services. A Scottish Labour government will value hospice workers and support this important sector by funding fair pay for hospice staff.”
Jacki Smart, Chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group and CEO of Accord Hospice, said: “This is a visible and tangible commitment to support Scotland’s hospices and we strongly welcome it. Frontline hospice staff will be delighted. Hospices employ the most dedicated and talented people, and they deserve to be paid fairly. Given hospices face extreme pressures from rising pay for doctors, nurses and all the vital support staff, this is hugely welcome and adds pressure to the need for urgent action.”