As MSPs debate the Scottish Government’s ‘Re-mobilise, Recover, Re-design: Framework for NHS Scotland’, the Royal College of Nursing is calling for an approach to recovery that maintains the safety of the public and staff and recognises the unique contribution of nurses and health care support workers. This needs to be wider than the NHS - an approach that considers, hospitals, primary and community care, mental health services and social care.
Theresa Fyffe, Director, RCN Scotland said: “Before this crisis nursing staffing levels in hospitals, community services and care homes were already significantly stretched. The pandemic has demonstrated beyond doubt the importance of nursing and nursing leadership.
“In recent months nurses and health care support workers have stepped up and intensified their work because that is what has been needed. It shows the potential of the nursing contribution to health and care and to society as a whole, if nurses and health care support workers have the resources and recognition to optimise that contribution.
“Recovery will be a complex and lengthy process and will need to take account of the demands that have been placed on health and care staff in recent months. There will undoubtedly be challenges in finding new ways of working to ensure infection prevention and control and maintain social distancing. While this will be an opportunity for innovation and new ways of working, health boards, care homes and staff will need to be supported and resourced to deliver this.
“Service models need to be developed for the short, medium and long term. It is essential that these plans for how services will be delivered are clear before decisions can be taken on the workforce that will be required. The principles the RCN has campaigned for on safe staffing remain important and must be considered as these plans are developed.
“Nursing workforce shortages within the NHS and the care home sector need to be addressed in a sustainable way.”
Notes
- While there have been successive annual increases since 2013/14 to the number of commissioned places for pre-registration nursing students, it is vital that this trend is seen within the context of the significant 20% cut in student places from 2010/11 to 2012/13. Increases over the last eight years have been necessary to reverse previous cuts in nursing student places.
- The quarterly workforce statistics published today show that while the total number of NHS nursing posts increased during 2019/20, so did the vacancy rate and the use of bank staff to cover gaps.
