S6M-17869: Addressing Scotland’s Medical and Nursing Workforce Crisis

The motion

That the Parliament recognises the scale of the crisis in Scotland’s NHS, with almost one in six people in Scotland on NHS waiting lists for tests or treatment, and private hospital admissions in Scotland reaching record levels in 2024, all while patients struggle to access a GP appointment; is concerned, therefore, regarding reports that resident doctors are unable to secure speciality training places in Scotland’s NHS, while newly qualified nurses cannot get jobs despite over 2,600 unfilled whole-time equivalent nursing and midwifery vacancies; regrets that inadequate NHS workforce planning by the Scottish National Party administration is forcing highly skilled clinicians to seek employment elsewhere, and calls on the Scottish Government to expedite its reported Future Medical Workforce project, and to report back to the Parliament by 1 September 2025, and undertake a wider review of workforce planning, with independent modelling and projections, and to report back by 1 December 2025, so that there is the required level of workforce to staff Scotland’s NHS.

What MSPs voted on: the motion as amended

Labour’s motion was rewritten by an SNP amendment (S6M-17869.2) before this vote. A vote ‘for’ was a vote for the SNP’s wording.

That the Parliament

160 words removed by S6M-17869.2

recognises the scale of the crisis in Scotland’s NHS, with almost one in six people in Scotland on NHS waiting lists for tests or treatment, and private hospital admissions in Scotland reaching record levels in 2024, all while patients struggle to access a GP appointment; is concerned, therefore, regarding reports that resident doctors are unable to secure speciality training places in Scotland’s NHS, while newly qualified nurses cannot get jobs despite over 2,600 unfilled whole-time equivalent nursing and midwifery vacancies; regrets that inadequate NHS workforce planning by the Scottish National Party administration is forcing highly skilled clinicians to seek employment elsewhere, and calls on the Scottish Government to expedite its reported Future Medical Workforce project, and to report back to the Parliament by 1 September 2025, and undertake a wider review of workforce planning, with independent modelling and projections, and to report back by 1 December 2025, so that there is the required level of workforce to staff Scotland’s NHS.

S6M-17869.2 SNP acknowledges the challenges facing the NHS and the critical contribution of its workforce; thanks the dedicated NHS staff for their hard work and professionalism in times of enormous pressure; notes with concern that too many people are waiting too long for treatment and welcomes, therefore, additional funding to reduce patient waits and deliver 150,000 extra appointments and procedures in 2025; acknowledges the challenges in primary care and community health settings, where too many people face difficulties making a GP appointment; recognises the calls for greater workforce planning to account for the changing landscape of delivering healthcare, building on historically high levels of staffing; notes the Scottish Government’s commitment to develop future workforce planning in response to the forthcoming population health and service renewal frameworks; believes that it is important that this work is informed by doctors working in the NHS through the Future Medical Workforce project, which will report on the planned dialogue, alongside an analysis of workforce demand and supply, by the end of 2025, while continuing with implementation of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce over the course of the year, and regrets deeply the UK Labour administration's reckless decision to close the health and care worker visa to adult social care, which will lead to acute workforce challenges and the closure of services, and have a devastating impact on both those receiving care and staff providing care.

Final wording as read into the Official Report at Decision Time. The marked changes are worked out by this site from the amendment texts and match that wording.

Amendments

S6M-17869.2 SNP Neil Gray Agreed vote, 65–53
S6M-17869.1 Conservative Sandesh Gulhane Fell (worked out by this site: the Presiding Officer announced it would fall if another amendment was agreed, and that one was)

Signatures by party

2 MSPs besides the lodger · 0 from other parties

Lab 2

Party on the day each MSP signed. Signing a motion is voluntary and not whipped. Who signs whose motions

Vote

1 division

11 Jun 2025
Addressing Scotland’s Medical and Nursing Workforce Crisis
S6M-17869as amended by SNP
Carried
62 for, 53 against

Amendments

2

S6M-17869.1

Addressing Scotland’s Medical and Nursing Workforce Crisis
Sandesh Gulhane Con Lodged 10 Jun 2025

No recorded vote
S6M-17869.2

Addressing Scotland’s Medical and Nursing Workforce Crisis
Neil Gray SNP Lodged 10 Jun 2025

Carried
65 for, 53 against

Supporters

2 MSPs

Lab 2

Show all 2 supporters by party

Lab 2

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

In the Official Report

5 contributions mention S6M-17869

11 Jun 2025

Medical and Nursing Workforce
Annabelle Ewing SNP Meeting of the Parliament

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-17869, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on addressing Scotland’s medical and nursing workforce crisis. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak butto…
11 Jun 2025

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

There are eight questions to be put as a result of today’s business. I remind members that if the amendment in the name of Neil Gray is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Sandesh Gulhane will fall. The first question is, that amendmen…
11 Jun 2025

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

I remind members that if the amendment in the name of Neil Gray is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Sandesh Gulhane will fall. We come to the vote on amendment S6M-17869.2, in the name of Neil Gray, which seeks to amend motion S6M-1…
11 Jun 2025

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

The next question is, that motion S6M-17869, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on addressing Scotland’s medical and nursing workforce crisis, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
11 Jun 2025

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

The result of the division on motion S6M-17869, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on addressing Scotland’s medical and nursing workforce crisis, as amended, is: For 62, Against 53, Abstentions 0. Motion, as amended, agreed to, That the Parlia…