Health boards facing almost 13,000 equal pay claims

Published on Tuesday 6 October 2009 22:23

NEARLY 13,000 claims for equal pay have been lodged with health boards, MSPs heard yesterday.

But the potential cost of all these claims is not yet known, as the boards do not yet have all the information they need, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said. She also acknowledged that the lengthy wrangle could ultimately be brought to a close through a negotiated settlement – but not yet.

Ms Sturgeon was giving evidence to Holyrood's Equal Opportunities Committee, which is studying equal pay in the health service.

Last week a Holyrood debate heard that 35,000 council equal pay cases are lodged with tribunals, at a potential ultimate cost of up to 1 billion.

Ms Sturgeon told the committee a total of 12,600 cases had been lodged against health boards.

She said: "At this stage we don't know if any of the 12,600 equal pay claims can be substantiated."

She told the MSPs: "It's my view that it would be premature for the Scottish Government or NHS boards to enter into negotiations about a financial settlement at this time."

But she went on: "I do not rule out a negotiated settlement on equal pay."