Tracy Gilbert MP has today welcomed Scottish Labour’s commitment to increase funding for hospices and deliver pay parity for hospice-based doctors, nurses, and care staff across Scotland, including those serving communities in Edinburgh North and Leith.
The announcement, made today by Scottish Labour, will see hospice staff receive wages in line with their NHS counterparts through full funding of the Agenda for Change pay scale, easing the burden on overstretched hospices and helping to secure the future of palliative care services.
Local facilities such as St Columba’s Hospice in Trinity play a vital role in delivering compassionate, end-of-life care to families across the constituency.
However, rising costs and an historic lack of investment under the SNP government have left the sector struggling to recruit and retain staff.
Tracy Gilbert MP said: “Hospice doctors, nurses, and support staff are the beating heart of palliative care.
“They deserve to be paid fairly for the essential work they do, and under a Scottish Labour government, they finally will be.”
Scottish Labour’s plan is designed not only to improve pay but to protect the services that thousands of families rely on every year.