Meeting of the Parliament 11 June 2025
In this chamber, I have always been candid about the challenges that our NHS faces, and today will be no different.
Once again, I put on record my deep appreciation for all the hard-working staff without whom our NHS simply could not function. In the case of our agenda for change staff, I was delighted to be able to recognise their efforts through the recent agreement of a two-year pay deal, which will feed through into pay slips later this month.
We continue to invest heavily in our workforce, and the latest NHS Scotland workforce statistics, which were published last week, demonstrate 13 consecutive years of growth. There were other causes for optimism in those statistics, most notably the 62 per cent reduction in nurse agency staffing that was achieved over 2024-25.
Through our on-going work to implement the recommendations of the nursing and midwifery task force, we will take further action that is designed both to attract and retain our nursing workforce, listening to the feedback that we have gleaned directly through conversations with staff on the ground.
I note Jackie Baillie’s concern around newly qualified nurses who are unable to secure posts. I am aware that a limited number of newly qualified children’s nurses and midwives had challenges in identifying suitable posts in their local area last year. My understanding is that vacancies are often available across nursing disciplines, and geography can impact fill rates. Indeed, the latest statistics indicate that there are historically high levels of nursing and midwifery staff, and that more than 1,000 band 5 nursing and midwifery vacancies across Scotland are open to newly qualified practitioners.