Thousands of NHS staff in Scotland have been absent from work for two months or more due to Covid, figures show, as the government pledged to maintain a full pay arrangement.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which employs 38,000 staff said 1,106 had experienced one episode of sickness longer than eight weeks over the course of the pandemic.

Lothian recorded a much lower rate proportionately with 191 employees out of 22,000 off for two months or longer.

In March 2020, the Scottish Government advised that employees forced to take time off due to Covid would be recorded under Special Leave and receive full pay. A government spokesman said it has no plans to change the current provision. Agency nurses are not covered by the arrangements.

It comes amid warnings that waning immunity amongst older people may be contributing to a sharp rise in Covid hospital admissions.

One in 18 people in private households in Scotland are estimated to have had the virus in the week to March 5, or 299,900 people.

NHS Lanarkshire said it was facing ongoing and significant staffing challenges due to Covid absences.

A least 2,831 NHS staff have been off work for more than two months across Scotland, according to figures obtained by The Herald through freedom of information laws.

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A least 2,831 NHS staff have been off work for more than two months across Scotland, according to figures obtained by The Herald through freedom of information laws.

NHS Grampian said 731 staff had been recorded as having a Covid related absence lasting for more than two months while the figure was 191 in NHS Lothian.

NHS Fife would not disclose how many staff had been absent for longer than two months. The board said a total of 374 employees had been absent for Covid-19 related reasons.

The Herald:

Lanarkshire said 32 staff were recorded as absent for two months or more as of January 31 but did not provide a total figure.

MPs have called on the UK Government to recognise Long Covid as an occupational disease saying the move would help standardise support and care for those affected, and improve data collection on the problem across the country.

NHS staff in Scotland who are absent with other illnesses including cancer are entitled to between one month and a maximum of six months full pay.

Dr Patricia Moultrie, deputy chair of BMA Scotland, said Covid was a new virus with unknown side effects and as such, Long Covid was a "special case."

She added: "We would expect GPs and practice staff to be covered similarly."

A Unison spokesman said there was recognition that at some point the government would "review the pay arrangments for Covid".

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He said:  "Unison recognises that Covid was a unique, fast moving and complex situation and so we welcome the Scottish Governments commitment to generous in the application of paid leave for staff who most probably caught Covid in the course of their work for the NHS. 

"We recognise that as we have learned more about this virus; as it appears to have become less deadly and as measures such as the vaccine programme have rolled out, the Government may now want to review the pay arrangements. 

The Herald:

"We would hope that in doing so, they continue to acknowledge the hard work of staff and the fact that we still have a lot to learn and Covid and particularly how people recover from Long Covid.” 

In Ayrshire and Arran 175 employees have had sustained periods of leave after becoming infected with Covid with 155 staff affected in Tayside. NHS Dumfries and Galloway said 324 employees were off for 60 days or more up until January 31. 

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NHS Forth Valley recorded 85 staff as having been absent for two months or more, with five in NHS Highland, 18 in Borders and five in the Western Isles. Shetland said no staff had been off work for more than two months with Covid.

The Royal College of Nurses has expressed concern that many agency workers "providing services to the NHS" were only receiving statutory sick pay for Covid sickness.

Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland's Interim Director, said "We would like to see employment agencies ensuring that agency workers do not suffer any financial detriment if they are unable to work shifts because of Covid."

There has also been concern that care workers were being forced to take holiday because employers were only offering statutory pay when ill with Covid or self-isolating. This contravenes government policy that they should be paid in full to limit infection spread.

Analysis by the TUC found the UK has the least generous statutory sick pay in Europe, worth just £96.35 per week. And it is only available to employees earning £120 per week or more – meaning two million workers, mostly women, do not qualify.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:“Covid has shown us just how important sick pay is - for individual workers, for vital services and for the whole economy. 

“But there are still two million low-paid workers who are excluded from statutory sick pay, while those who qualify only get a pittance that is impossible to live on. 

“The UK government must make sure every worker can get statutory sick pay - paid from the first day of illness - and increase its value to at least as much as the real living wage."

Rail workers union the RMT said members who required time off due to Covid were entitled to receive full pay for six months.