How many training places it will provide for (a) psychiatrists and (b) mental health nurses in the next five years, and how this compares w…

(a) Psychiatry
Table 1 sets out the number of established training places in each of the various psychiatric specialties. This data reflects trainee establishment levels from August 2016 – August 2022.
Table 1
Trainee Establishment
Training Programme
Aug-16
Aug-17
Aug-18
Aug-19
Aug-20
Aug-21
Feb-22
Aug-22
Child and adolescent psychiatry
28
28
28
28
28
28


28


28
Core Psychiatry
163
163
161
161
161
166
171
176
Forensic psychiatry
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
General psychiatry
59
59
59
59
59
59
59
59
Intellectual Disability Psychiatry
13
13
13
13
13
13


13


13
Medical psychotherapy
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
Old age psychiatry
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
Grand Total
311
311
309*
309
309
314
319
324
* Two fewer posts were advertised in 2018 than in 2017 due to the allocation of Core Psychiatry posts to the Broad Based Training programme, which includes psychiatry as one of the four rotations.
Table 2 shows the number of psychiatric training posts advertised in each year from 2016 – 2021. The number of posts which are advertised varies year-on-year depending on how many trainees completed their training and achieved their Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in the year prior. Please note that comparative figures for 2022 are not yet available.
Table 2
Post Type*
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Specialty
Posts
Posts
Posts
Posts
Posts
Posts
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
ST4
9
10
14
8
9
13
Core Psychiatry Training
CT1
59
58
65
63
68
59
Forensic Psychiatry
ST4
7
4
6
5
4
6
Forensic Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
ST4
0
0
0
0
0
0
Forensic Psychiatry and Medical Psychotherapy
ST4
1
0
0
0
0
0
General Psychiatry
ST4
32
20
19
18
14
27
General Psychiatry and Medical Psychotherapy
ST4
1
0
0
0
1
3
General Psychiatry and Old Age Psychiatry
ST4
0
1
1
1
1
1
Medical Psychotherapy
ST4
0
3
3
1
2
2
Old Age Psychiatry
ST4
13
15
10
10
9
12
Psychiatry of Learning Disability
ST
1
3
7
8
6
4
Psychiatry of Learning Disability and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
ST
0
0
0
0
1
1
123
114
125
114
115
128
* CT = Core Training
*ST = Specialty Training
The number of psychiatry training places to be advertised beyond 2022 has not yet been determined. The number of training places is determined annually by Scottish Ministers, following the recommendations of the Shape of Training Transition Group (SSoTTG). The SSoTTG make its recommendations based on a number of factors, including: retiral rate of consultants, attrition rates, current and future service demand, assumed demographic changes, and training capacity within NHS Scotland amongst others. The Group receives input from Specialty Training Boards, Medical Royal Colleges, NHS Education Scotland, the British Medical Association, Medical Directors, Regional Medical Workforce Planners and other relevant parties.
The Scottish Government (SG) has been increasing the number of Core Psychiatry training places, following the recommendations of the Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group (SSoTTG). Since 2014, the Scottish Ministers have created 474 additional places in a wide range of medical specialties, following the recommendations of the group. 139 of those were agreed in 2021 – the largest annual expansion to date – and are being recruited to in 2022. This includes 10 additional Core Psychiatry places. The SSoTTG continues to review the number of established training places in line with patient and service needs. All additional training places are funded by the Scottish Government.
SG officials are also currently working with NHS Education for Scotland and the Royal College of Psychiatrists Scotland to better understand and address the challenges associated with recruitment and retention in Psychiatry; an issue that is common across all four UK nations.
(b) Ment