UNISON Scotland welcomed the decision of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing to pay the PVG (Protection of Vulnerable Groups) registration fee of £59 for all relevant staff in NHS Scotland.
Following representation by UNISON, Health Secretary Alex Neil has written to the committee which administers terms and conditions for Scottish NHS staff (STAC) to ask them to ‘put in place a system where NHS employers will pay the PVG registration for all staff’ who need it to work with children and vulnerable people.
“We welcome Alex Neil’s decision to listen to UNISON’s arguments on behalf of NHS staff and to agree that the NHS will meet this new £59 registration fee.
“Many staff in the NHS already pay their own personal registration fee - for example nurses who pay £100 per year to the Nursing & Midwifery Council. At a time of increased pension costs to health staff and years of real terms pay cuts, this is a small but welcome victory”
