NHS Scotland staff to get World Cup public holiday

NHS Scotland staff will get a public holiday for the World Cup, the first minister has announced.

John Swinney confirmed all staff will get the one-off national bank holiday to mark Scotland's return to the men's football World Cup for the first time since 1998.

The holiday, on Monday 15 June, comes the day after Scotland's opening match against Haiti in Boston.

Measures will be put in place to ensure the health service will continue to operate as it normally would on public holidays.

Health Secretary Neil Gray has written to staff representatives at the country's largest employer to confirm they will have the chance to celebrate the sporting achievement.

Swinney said the bank holiday was a chance to get together with family and friends and make the most of the men's national football team competing in the first World Cup finals for 28 years.

He said: "I want to ensure that our hard-working NHS staff have that opportunity, so I am pleased to confirm all NHS Scotland staff will benefit from the extra holiday."

Swinney added he was "deeply grateful" for everything NHS staff do.

On the significance of the occasion, he said: "Not only is this an historic sporting event, it's also a chance for Scotland to be on the world stage, to attract business development, create tourism interest and make cultural and sporting connections."

While all NHS staff in Scotland are entitled to the day off regardless of which health board they work for, councils across Scotland made their own decision on the potential public holiday.

Only five councils - Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, North Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire - have so far confirmed staff will get the public holiday.

Local authorities have also made individual decisions on late licensing, as Scotland's games kick off at 02:00 BST or 23:00 BST.

Around a dozen have voted to extend licensing hours for pubs and bars with, for example, some allowed to stay open for 30 minutes after full time.