Legal protection for health boards to remain

John Swinney

The Coronavirus (Discretionary Compensation for Self-isolation) (Scotland) Bill will ensure health boards continue to have a choice, rather than be under a duty, to provide compensation to anyone asked to self-isolate due to Covid.

The existing support for those isolating to prevent further transmission of the virus will remain available through the self-isolation support grant and associated support services.

The bill extends a modification, made by the UK Coronavirus Act 2020, to the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008, until October.

The Scottish government said the move avoids a potential liability for health boards of £320 million a year.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “This requirement was intended to apply to small scale outbreaks such as E.coli, where a small number of households may have to isolate for a short period of time and lose out on income as a result. It was never intended to apply in a global pandemic.

“Existing support for self-isolation, which includes the Self-Isolation Support Grant – a £500 payment for those earning less than the real living wage - will ensure households can isolate, where necessary, to stop transmission of coronavirus.

“This bill protects Health Boards from significant financial and administrative burdens, to the tune of around £320 million, at a time when they are rightly focused on providing essential care and navigating out of the pandemic.

“That is not a burden that health boards can afford. This bill enables the current arrangements to remain in place, with regard to COVID-19, whilst ensuring that the focus remains on the provision of essential care.”