Questions concerning Westminster funded Scottish NHS bonus scheme: FOI release

Information requested

(1) How many individuals are to receive more than:
99% of The Bonus + Total value
75% to 98% of The Bonus + Total value
50% to 74% of The Bonus + Total value
25% to 49% of The Bonus + Total value
2% to 25% of The Bonus + Total value
1% or less of The Bonus + Total value

(2) How many total individuals are eligible for the pro-rata payment?

(3) How many total individuals are not eligible for the pro-rata payment?

(4) The total cost/value of the bonus scheme.

(5) The total value to Scotland's revenues & economic output earned from and related to The Bonus Scheme of additional Income tax generated NIC'S.

Response

The bonus scheme covers both health and social care staff. These answers will be focused on the scheme as it applies to all sectors of the NHS.

(1) While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

The Scottish Government published overarching qualifying criteria when the policy was announced on 30 November 2020. At that point, we confirmed that the payment would be pro-rata according to the proportion of full time hours worked. Whilst the Scottish Government costed the policy on the best available information on Whole Time Equivalent staff numbers, we do not have specific information on how many staff fall into each of the categories set out above.

(2) The answer to your question is that the number of individual staff providing NHS services who are eligible for the payment is approximately 230,000. The payment is pro-rata according to the proportion of full-time hours worked.

(3) While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

An individual needs to have at least one month’s continuous service in the NHS between 17 March and 30 November to qualify for the payment. There will be people who fail to meet this criteria but the Scottish Government does not collect those numbers.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

(4) The answer to your question is that the total cost of providing this bonus to all sectors of the NHS is forecast to be in the region of £111 million.

When Social Care staff are included, this is an investment of around £190 million, benefitting nearly 400,000 staff.

(5) While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

However, you may wish to contact HM Revenues and Customs, who may be able to help you.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.