Regulations were laid before the Scottish Parliament on December 10, extending the Emergency Workers Act.
Although the Act in Scotland provides legal protection to ambulance workers, doctors, nurses and midwives working in a hospital or responding to an emergency it does not cover GPs, other doctors, nurses or midwives working in the community, unless they are responding to an emergency.<br><br>What they say<br><br>Minister for Public Health Shona Robison said: "We made a commitment to extend the Emergency Workers Act to enhance the protection provided to NHS staff and extend it to GPs, other doctors, nurses and midwives working in the community.<br><br>"We owe our NHS staff a huge debt of gratitude for the work they do on a daily basis sometimes in challenging circumstances.<br><br>"Sadly there are a mindless minority who think it is acceptable to abuse and attack health workers ignoring the vital service they provide and the terrible impact this kind of behaviour can have on staff morale.<br><br>"The brutal knife attack on a GP in her surgery in Glasgow back in August was a shocking incident and highlighted that health workers working in the community are vulnerable.<br><br>"The Emergency Workers Act passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2005 was an important step forward in giving NHS workers greater legal protection. But it doesn’t go far enough.<br><br>"It covers doctors, nurses and midwives only when they are on duty in an NHS hospital or responding to an emergency.<br><br>"GPs, community nurses and community midwives are excluded.<br><br>"This extension to the Emergency Workers Act will provide additional protection for GPs, nurses and midwives working in the community. I will lay before Parliament the regulations necessary to extend the Emergency Workers Act to doctors, nurses and midwives whenever and wherever they are on duty."
