Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure agency nurses are entitled to sick pay.

NHS Providers do not directly pay sick pay to agency workers as they are not employed by the trust. Agency workers are entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP), with responsibility falling to the employing agency. When a rate is agreed with an agency, it includes sick pay entitlement within the total charge rate being invoiced to the trust.

The Department is working closely with the agency sector to ensure that these requirements are understood and honoured, and to ensure that no National Health Service workers are put at any disadvantage at this time.

Individual agency workers should contact their respective agencies or follow the guidance on the Government website for more information on the rules and guidance on statutory sick pay.