Coronavirus (COVID-19) represented one of the most significant challenges NHS Scotland has ever faced and the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee worked in partnership to agree changes and additions to terms and conditions in order to give the service the flexibility and support it needed during the pandemic.
A schedule for the withdrawal of these temporary measures has now been put in place and is set out in the following letter:
DL(2022)21 – Removal of Temporary Covid Policies – 24 June 2022
This page continues to serve as a single point of reference for all the polices which STAC agreed in this area however.
General Workforce / HR Guidance
DL(2020)5 – Coronavirus (Covid-19): National Arrangements for NHS Scotland Staff – 13 March 2020 (Provides general guidance for the service on key HR issues related to COVID-19)
Pausing of Health Programmes During Coronavirus (COVID-19) – 30 March 2020 (Sets out the national work which is being paused during the COVID-19 crisis)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – medical, nursing and midwifery: student support guidance – 2 April 2020 (Advice from the Chief Nursing Officer Directorate for any medical or nursing students wanting to volunteer to assist with NHS Scotland’s response to COVID-19)
Healthcare Protection Scotland Guidance (Information on infection prevention and control in healthcare settings, including guidance on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE))
Joint Statement on Expanding the Nursing and Midwifery Workforce in the COVID-19 Pandemic – 2 April 2020 (Explains the position as at 2 April on who will be invited to join the NMC Temporary Register and the governance to be put in place around this)
DL(2020)6 – Returning to Work – 3 April 2020 (Covers issues including pay, family related leave and pensions for staff who want to return to assist with the COVID-19 emergency)
DL(2020)7 – School Closures and Carers Leave – 3 April 2020 (Develops the guidance initially contained in DL(2020)5 around issues which are likely to come up for staff with caring responsibilities)
DL(2020)8 – Staff Wellbeing and Support – 14 April 2020 (Sets out the employer’s duty of care during the COVID-19 pandemic)
DL(2020)9 – Annual Leave and Public Holidays During the COVID-19 Pandemic – 16 April 2020 (Provides guidance for employers and staff on how annual leave and public holidays should be handled during the current crisis)
DL(2020)10 – Accelerated Recruitment Portal: Further Guidance to NHS Boards – 17 April 2020 (More detailed information on how the accelerated recruitment process will work)
DL(2020)12 – Reporting Arrangements for Suspected COVID-19 Deaths – 24 April 2020
DL(2020)13 – Delivering a Whole System Approach to COVID-19 – 28 April 2020 (Guidance on the deployment of healthcare staff to community settings)
DL(2020)14 – NHS Scotland: Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020 – 14 May 2020 (Sets out the Death in Service provisions which have been put in place in respect of COVID-19)
DL(2020)15 – Guidance on the Employment of Bank Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic – 20 May 2020 (Covers the fair treatment of bank workers in the context of COVID-19 service changes)
DL(2020)16 – Further Guidance on Annual Leave and Public Holidays During the COVID-19 Pandemic – 10 June 2020 (Clarifies the approach to leave over 20-21)
DL(2020)20 – Quarantine (self-isolation) for NHS Scotland Staff Returning to the UK – 14 July 2020 (Provides guidance for situations in which staff wish to travel to a country for which there is a quarantine period on return)
DL(2020)22 – Annual Leave in 2020-21 – 17 July 2020 (Provides further guidance around Annual Leave for staff and managers, including those staff who are shielding)
DL(2020)24 – COVID-19 Occupational Risk Assessment Guidance – 27 July 2020 (Replaces earlier guidance for staff and managers and provides the service with a new set of risk assessment tools)
DL(2020)30 – COVID Special Leave – 9 November 2020 (Confirms that staff who are sick with Covid should stay on Covid Special Leave until further notice)
PCS(COV)2020-1 – £500 Covid Payment – 23 December 2020 (Outline the agreed approach to allocating the £500 payment for health and care staff announced by the First Minister)
DL(2021)03 – Annual Leave in 2020-21 and Carry Forward to 2021-22 – Annual Leave in 2020-21 and Carry Forward to 2021-22 – 22 January 2021 (Provides guidance on carry forward of Annual Leave which cannot be taken due to Covid pressures)
PCS(COV)2021-1 – £500 Covid Payment – Opt Out and Further Q&A – 22 January 2021 (Outlines how staff can opt out of the £500 payment and opt back in again)
DL(2021)05 – Stay at Home Regulations: Working from Home – 2 February 2021 (Advice on supporting employees to work from home)
DL(2021)07 – Working from Home as a Consequence of COVID-19: Terms and Conditions of Service – 19 February 2021 (Terms and conditions to be applied when staff are working from home)
DL(2021)13 – Quarantine (Self-Isolation) for NHS Scotland Staff Returning to the UK – 26 May 2021 – (Amends the policy set out in DL(2020)20)
Guidance for Staff and Managers on Coronavirus – 14 October 2021 (A reference point for up to date guidance around various issues linked to COVID-19)
DL(2021)35 – Annual Leave Buy Back and Carry Over 2021-22 – 3 November 2021 (Confirms leave carry over arrangements for 2021-22 and allows staff to sell back up to 10 days of leave)
DL(2021)36 – Quarantine (Self-Isolation) for NHS Scotland Staff Returning to the UK – 5 November 2021 (Updates the guidance around quarantine to take account of the changing situation)
DL(2021)47 – Incremental Credit for New Employees – 6 December 2021 (Provides guidance on starting salaries for staff with relevant previous experience)
DL(2022)12 – Managing Health and Social Care Staff with symptoms of a respiratory infection, or a positive COVID-19 test, as part of the Test and Protect Transition Plan – 29 April 2022 (Latest guidance around self-isolation)
Variations to Standard Terms and Conditions
Overtime for Agenda for Change Band 8 and Above – 18 March 2020 (Allows senior AfC staff to access overtime, where required, to assist with the COVID-19 response)
Overtime for ESM Staff – 27 March 2020 (Allows certain ESM staff to access overtime, where required, to assist with the COVID-19 response)
Sick Leave During Coronavirus – 27 March 2020 (Confirms that any staff member falling sick with COVID-19 will be treated as if they have the full entitlement to paid sick leave normally only accessed after 5 years service)
Fixed Term Contracts – 3 April 2020 (Allows Boards not to apply the provision in the Fixed-Term Contracts PIN around adding staff to the Redeployment Register for those staff hired as part of the COVID-19 response)
Leave During Coronavirus – 3 April 2020 (Clarifies relationship between Sick Leave Variation Order issued on 27 March and DL(2020)5)
STAC Letters Connected to Coronavirus
STAC(TCS03)2020 – Suspension of Job Evaluation – 24 March 2020 (Removes the need for Boards to carry out Job Evaluation during the COVID-19 crisis)
STAC(TCS04)2020 – Organisational Change Protection – 31 March 2020 (Suspends the requirement for Boards to submit OCP data during the COVID-19 crisis)
STAC(TCS05)2020 – Bank Workers in Very High Risk Groups – 9 April 2020 (Advises on pay protection for bank staff in very high risk groups who cannot work currently)
STAC(TCS06)2020 – Job Evaluation Restart – 5 June 2020 (Allows Job Evaluation to restart using virtual tools)
STAC(TCS07)2020 – Staff in the Shielded Category – 30 June 2020 (Confirms the ongoing arrangements for shielded staff)
STAC(OrgCh)2020 – Organisational Change Policy – 16 September 2020 (Confirms that normal OCP Policy applies during pandemic)
STAC(TCS08)2020 – Health and Care Covid Bonus – 1 December 2020 (Announces the £500 one-off payment for Health and Care staff)
STAC(TCS09)2020 – COVID-19 Sickness Absence Management – 15 December 2020 (Covers situations where staff have their treatment delayed by the effects of Covid on the NHS)
STAC(TCS01)2021 – Adverse Reaction Following Covid-19 Vaccination – 14 June 2021 (Sets out the agreed approach when someone needs to take time off following vaccination)
STAC(TCS03)2021 – Adverse Reaction Following Covid-19 Vaccination – Further Advice – 18 August 2021
STAC(TCS04)2021 – Adverse Reaction Following Covid-19 Vaccination – Clarification – 30 August 2021
STAC(TCS05)2021 – Long Covid Sick Leave – 28 September 2021 (confirms that provisions of DL(2020)30 apply until further notice.
STAC(TCS01)2022 – Public Holidays and COVID – 5 February 2022 (confirms that staff off on a PH for COVID related reasons do not get an extra day off)
Q&As
General Terms and Conditions Questions related to NHS Scotland’s COVID19 Response – 17 April 2020
Q&A for Nursing Students Coming in to NHS Scotland – 17 April 2020
Q&A for Shielding Staff after 31 July 20 – 14 August 2020
Staff Shielding – Reference Q&A – 24 February 2021
Updates From STAC Secretariat
Update Following Cancellation of 20 March Meeting – 27 March 2020
Further Update from Secretariat – 3 April 2020
Update from STAC Secretariat – 17 April 2020
Further Update – 15 May 2020
August Update – 14 August 2020
Additional Resources
– Coronavirus (COVID-19) section of NHS Scotland’s Staff Governance Website
– Scottish Public Pension Agency page explaining pension change enabled by Coronavirus Act 2020
– NHS Scotland’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) recruitment page
PPE Posters
Primary Outpatient and Community Care Setting, Secondary Care Clinical Setting, Ambulance Staff, Paramedics, First Responders, Additional Considerations