The Scottish Government has said it will implement dozens of recommendations aimed at improving the recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives in the country.
The Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce published its final report today, which included a list of 44 suggested actions on topics including safe staffing, education, flexible working and regulatory reform.
“We welcome the recommended actions announced today”
Colin Poolman
The taskforce, which was set up by the devolved administration in 2023, was chaired by Scottish cabinet secretary for health, Neil Gray.
Its members included the country’s chief nursing and midwifery officers; representatives from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and other unions; health board nursing directors; nursing and midwifery educators; and other senior figures in Scottish healthcare and government.
Recommendations were split into eight categories: work environments and working conditions; flexibility and work-life balance policies; career opportunities and access to education; manageable workload and safe staffing; productive working relationships; professional autonomy and participation in decision making; responsive management with supervision and mentoring; and attracting people into the professions.
One of the report’s recommendations was for the Scottish Government to investigate the pros and cons of regulating and standardising education for nursing support worker roles.
The taskforce did not specify if this would mean regulation of all nursing support workers, or if it was a hint that the government may introduce nursing associates.
Nursing Times has approached the Scottish Government for clarification on this matter.
It comes after, last year, the Scottish Government told Nursing Times it was looking into “regulation of the band 4 workforce, including the role of the registered nursing associate”.
The final Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce report, published today, was informed by evidence from nurses, midwives, support workers and others within the Scottish NHS, which was gathered via a “listening project”.
One person told the listening project that the “simple things” such as being able to take breaks or getting home on time were particularly important, to them, for managing their wellbeing.
In response, the taskforce made a recommendation that employers must have “appropriate staffing levels” to ensure staff can take breaks, and another for the government to create a toolkit to ensure nursing staff’s basic needs are met at work.
The taskforce also urged the government to work with the NHS, trade unions and professional organisations to create an updated definition of flexible working for nursing and midwifery staff, and to create rostering guidance that “promotes a culture of flexibility”.
In terms of attracting new people into the profession, the taskforce recommended that the government develop “new” and “alternative” pathways into nursing and midwifery, including part-time, fast-track and earn-as-you-learn routes.
“This should prioritise adding to, and not replacing, traditional undergraduate routes,” said the report.
Suggested measures for improving progression and retention also featured in the report.
A review of practice learning for Scotland was suggested, to find “gaps” in placements provision, ensure capacity and to coincide with a similar national one currently being undertaken by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The taskforce also made recommendations aimed at reducing the amount of unnecessary paperwork and data-inputting that nurses and midwives carry out.
“Our nurses and midwives are the backbone of Scotland’s healthcare system”
Neil Gray
The full list of recommendations can be viewed in the report, here.
Mr Gray, after the report was published, announced that he intended to carry forward all 44 of them.
The next step for the taskforce is actioning the recommendations, via a dedicated implementation board that will lay out timescales and the financial cost.
“Our nurses and midwives are the backbone of Scotland’s healthcare system and we are committed to ensuring they have the support, flexibility and workplace conditions to thrive,” said Mr Gray.
“The publication of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce report marks an important milestone; we have heard directly from staff about what matters most to them, and this has shaped the recommended actions which will deliver real change for nurses and midwives.”
He added: “The Scottish Government will now work with our partners to deliver the actions contained in the report.”
Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland director, said the RCN welcomed the recommendations, and that the college would continue to monitor the government’s progress.
“This is the culmination of two years of collaborative working, and we welcome the recommended actions announced today,” he said.
“We see this as a significant step and, as the implementation board begins its work, the recommendations should provide a strategic roadmap to begin to tackle the nursing retention and recruitment challenges in Scotland.
“Implementation of the recommendations will take time and investment, we look forward to playing a key role in the implementation board to ensure delivery and enable Scottish Government to meet its aspiration of making Scotland the best place for nurses and midwives to work.”
Mr Poolman added that the implementation plan must be fully funded in order for the improvements to be felt by the workforce, and said: “The Scottish Government must prioritise this funding and implementation for it to meet its own aspiration of making Scotland the best place for nurses and midwives to work.”
