Fuming Scots NHS heroes given 'demoralising' coffee voucher as pandemic 'reward'

Fuming NHS heroes who have worked through the deadly Covid-19 pandemic are 'insulted' after being handed a tea or coffee voucher as a 'reward' for their efforts.The tokens, costing £1.20, must be redeemed by staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) by the end of March.Hospital chiefs cited the vouchers as a 'small token of appreciation' for the 'incredible work and extremely challenging circumstances'.

It comes weeks after Little France bosses were forced to walk back part of initial plans to remove free parking in favour of a park and ride scheme five miles away.

One outraged worker said they are 'losing the will to work' and slammed the move as 'demoralising and scandalous'. Staff were informed of the vouchers in an email on Wednesday, Edinburgh Live reports.

It read: “Colleagues, I must start by acknowledging and thanking you for the incredible work you do and continue to do in extremely challenging circumstances.“As a small token of appreciation, vouchers to the value of £1.20 will be distributed from Wednesday this week.“The voucher can be used in Coffee Club/Link Bridge or Cafe/Canteen towards any item“Thank you again for all you do for our patients and for each other.”The voucher itself features the message "Thank you for all that you do" above a warning it must be used by March 31.One hospital worker, who asked not to be identified, said: "It is a scandalous offer."This amount is obviously nowhere near enough to cover the bus fare expenses as a result of car parking restrictions recently."This minuscule amount only made me feel even more demoralised and furious.