Written Question · S6W-27190 · Session 6
When it will set out a timeline for how any issues regarding understaffing of nurses as a result of the common staffing method will be reso…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out a timeline for how any issues regarding understaffing of nurses as a result of the common staffing method will be resolved, as raised by the Royal College of Nursing Scotland.
The answer
Under the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019, Health Boards / Special Health Boards / NHS National Services Scotland must follow the common staffing method, which only applies to certain types of health care, provided in certain locations by certain employees (see annex A), at least once every financial year. It must then decide if any changes are needed as a result, both to the staffing establishment, for example an increase or decrease, and the way in which it provides health care, for example service redesign.
Health Boards / Special Health Boards / NHS National Services Scotland are required to publish and submit an annual report to Scottish Ministers on how they have carried out their duties in the Act, with the first report due by 30 April 2025. Scottish Ministers must then present these reports to Parliament with an accompanying statement detailing how the information will be used in designing policies for staffing of the health service.
However, results from the common staffing method are only one factor in providing information on workforce and service delivery and the Scottish Government continues to implement policies for workforce and service reform.
Overall nursing and midwifery staffing is at a record high, up by 17.8% since September 2006, by 10,100.4 WTE to 66,883.6 WTE. Since September 2006, qualified nurses and midwives have increased by 16.3%, by 6,698.7 WTE to 47,724.9 WTE. Initiatives on international recruitment provided around £18m in funding to Boards to recruit 1,250 international nurses, midwives and allied health professionals, with well over 1,000 already in post across Scotland so far and many more arriving in the coming weeks.
Controls were introduced by Boards from 1 April 2023 in order to gradually reduce the number of shifts being filled by nurse agency workers and from 1 June 2023 Boards were no longer using off-framework nurse agencies unless in exceptional circumstances. Boards have reported significant progress in reducing reliance on agency nursing staff as a result of these changes. Further controls were introduced from 1 April 2024, and Boards are no longer using agency workers to fill Health Care Support Worker (HCSW) / unregistered shifts.
The Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce (NMT) was announced in February 2023 at the request of staff side organisations, including the Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Midwives to understand the challenges facing nurses and midwives across Scotland. The NMT continues to be a Ministerial priority and will recommend a workplan of actions which will seek to improve workplace culture, practice, flexibility, recruitment and retention, alongside the diversification of education and training pathways to support longer-term workforce sustainability. The NMT is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024.
Annex A
Types of health care, locations and employees subject to the common staffing method
Type of health care
Location
Employees
Adult inpatient provision
Hospital wards with 17 occupied beds or more on average
Registered nurses
Clinical nurse specialist provision
Hospitals
Community settings
Registered nurses who work as clinical nurse specialists
Community nursing provision
Community settings
Registered nurses
Community children’s nursing provision
Community settings
Registered nurses
Emergency care provision
Emergency departments in hospitals
Registered nurses
Medical practitioners
Maternity provision
Hospitals
Community settings
Registered midwives
Mental health and learning disability provision
Mental health units in hospitals
Learning disability units in hospitals
Registered nurses
Neonatal provision
Neonatal units in hospitals
Registered midwives
Registered nurses
Paediatric inpatient provision
Paediatric wards in hospitals
Regi
Health Boards / Special Health Boards / NHS National Services Scotland are required to publish and submit an annual report to Scottish Ministers on how they have carried out their duties in the Act, with the first report due by 30 April 2025. Scottish Ministers must then present these reports to Parliament with an accompanying statement detailing how the information will be used in designing policies for staffing of the health service.
However, results from the common staffing method are only one factor in providing information on workforce and service delivery and the Scottish Government continues to implement policies for workforce and service reform.
Overall nursing and midwifery staffing is at a record high, up by 17.8% since September 2006, by 10,100.4 WTE to 66,883.6 WTE. Since September 2006, qualified nurses and midwives have increased by 16.3%, by 6,698.7 WTE to 47,724.9 WTE. Initiatives on international recruitment provided around £18m in funding to Boards to recruit 1,250 international nurses, midwives and allied health professionals, with well over 1,000 already in post across Scotland so far and many more arriving in the coming weeks.
Controls were introduced by Boards from 1 April 2023 in order to gradually reduce the number of shifts being filled by nurse agency workers and from 1 June 2023 Boards were no longer using off-framework nurse agencies unless in exceptional circumstances. Boards have reported significant progress in reducing reliance on agency nursing staff as a result of these changes. Further controls were introduced from 1 April 2024, and Boards are no longer using agency workers to fill Health Care Support Worker (HCSW) / unregistered shifts.
The Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce (NMT) was announced in February 2023 at the request of staff side organisations, including the Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Midwives to understand the challenges facing nurses and midwives across Scotland. The NMT continues to be a Ministerial priority and will recommend a workplan of actions which will seek to improve workplace culture, practice, flexibility, recruitment and retention, alongside the diversification of education and training pathways to support longer-term workforce sustainability. The NMT is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024.
Annex A
Types of health care, locations and employees subject to the common staffing method
Type of health care
Location
Employees
Adult inpatient provision
Hospital wards with 17 occupied beds or more on average
Registered nurses
Clinical nurse specialist provision
Hospitals
Community settings
Registered nurses who work as clinical nurse specialists
Community nursing provision
Community settings
Registered nurses
Community children’s nursing provision
Community settings
Registered nurses
Emergency care provision
Emergency departments in hospitals
Registered nurses
Medical practitioners
Maternity provision
Hospitals
Community settings
Registered midwives
Mental health and learning disability provision
Mental health units in hospitals
Learning disability units in hospitals
Registered nurses
Neonatal provision
Neonatal units in hospitals
Registered midwives
Registered nurses
Paediatric inpatient provision
Paediatric wards in hospitals
Regi
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S6W-27190 by reference.