Ross MP Jamie Stone calls for mileage increases for rural healthcare staff on Nurses' Day
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Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MP Jamie Stone has today marked Nurses' Day by calling for a better deal for healthcare staff who travel around the Highlands as part of their job.
At present, NHS staff who travel more than 3,500 miles annually see their reimbursement reduced from 61p per mile to just 25p per mile.
In Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, some nursing staff move onto the lower rate in a matter of months given the large areas they cover, leaving them out of pocket.
The MP has written to NHS Scotland asking for the 3,500 mile rule to be abolished, in recognition of the long distances that many rural nurses and carers travel in the course of their work.
Jamie Stone MP commented: "The hard-working nursing staff in the North of Scotland face some unique challenges – not least the incredibly long journeys many of them make to care for local people.
"But NHS Scotland rules dramatically slash staff mileage reimbursement after 3,500 miles, leaving many rural nurses and carers out of pocket.
"On this Nurses' Day, let's celebrate our frontline health professionals with actions rather than just words, by making sure they are fairly compensated for the work that they do."
