Chamber
Plenary, 09 May 2002
09 May 2002 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Nurses
I agree with other members that it is highly appropriate for us to hold this debate during international nurses week.
Since 1997, Labour has delivered 20,000 new nurses across the UK and has scrapped the two-stage pay awards. However, it takes time to encourage more people to become nurses and, while new nurses are being recruited, we are still losing existing nurses from the profession. The RCN has identified three issues that we must address:
"better pay, better resources to do the work and improved promotion prospects".
That chimes exactly with the representations that I have received from nurses and midwives in my constituency. I want to share with members some of the pressures that those nurses and midwives have shared with me. They have written to me about the pressures and stress of working in wards that are not fully staffed; the lack of training opportunities; the lack of financial support, which makes it difficult to take up training opportunities; and the struggle of studying and training while holding down a responsible and stressful job at the same time.
There is general dissatisfaction with the level of pay and a sense of disappointment at the lack of career development opportunities and the lack of recognition of the new competencies and medical procedures that many nurses are now undertaking. Nurses are also worried about the impact of vacancies not being filled. There is strong concern about the use of bank nursing, about the insufficient number of fully staffed wards and medical teams and about temporary nurses being brought in to fill the gaps.
Financial support for nurses and midwives during their training is a big issue and, as Malcolm Chisholm will know, I have received many letters from student nurses at Queen Margaret University College, who are disappointed that they have missed out on the recent bursary improvements. However, they will benefit from access to the guaranteed year's employment on graduation.
A common thread runs through the representations, based not just on individuals' self-interest but on concern about how the day-to-day pressure on nurses affects patient care. Every nurse who has contacted me has raised that issue.
Since 1997, Labour has delivered 20,000 new nurses across the UK and has scrapped the two-stage pay awards. However, it takes time to encourage more people to become nurses and, while new nurses are being recruited, we are still losing existing nurses from the profession. The RCN has identified three issues that we must address:
"better pay, better resources to do the work and improved promotion prospects".
That chimes exactly with the representations that I have received from nurses and midwives in my constituency. I want to share with members some of the pressures that those nurses and midwives have shared with me. They have written to me about the pressures and stress of working in wards that are not fully staffed; the lack of training opportunities; the lack of financial support, which makes it difficult to take up training opportunities; and the struggle of studying and training while holding down a responsible and stressful job at the same time.
There is general dissatisfaction with the level of pay and a sense of disappointment at the lack of career development opportunities and the lack of recognition of the new competencies and medical procedures that many nurses are now undertaking. Nurses are also worried about the impact of vacancies not being filled. There is strong concern about the use of bank nursing, about the insufficient number of fully staffed wards and medical teams and about temporary nurses being brought in to fill the gaps.
Financial support for nurses and midwives during their training is a big issue and, as Malcolm Chisholm will know, I have received many letters from student nurses at Queen Margaret University College, who are disappointed that they have missed out on the recent bursary improvements. However, they will benefit from access to the guaranteed year's employment on graduation.
A common thread runs through the representations, based not just on individuals' self-interest but on concern about how the day-to-day pressure on nurses affects patient care. Every nurse who has contacted me has raised that issue.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Sir David Steel):
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S1M-3078, in the name of Malcolm Chisholm, on action to recruit, retain and value nurses, and two amendments ...
The Minister for Health and Community Care (Malcolm Chisholm):
Lab
The delivery of health services for patients requires a combination of sustained investment and reform—investment in staff, equipment, facilities and new tre...
Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP):
SSP
Will Malcolm Chisholm give way?
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
In a moment. I need to make more progress first.We want all those who qualify to secure employment within NHS Scotland, if they wish to do so. We have theref...
Tommy Sheridan:
SSP
My question relates specifically to nurses' bursaries. Given his experience of speaking at various conferences, the minister will surely accept that the bigg...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
There will be a further increase in bursaries this year. I am aware of the issue that Tommy Sheridan raises, and I am sure that it will come up at the specia...
Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
Will the minister give way?
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
Time will not allow me to take an intervention. I have only one and a half minutes left.Flexibility is another key issue that has been raised at nursing conv...
Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I thank nurses, midwives and health visitors for the enormous contribution that they make to patient care and the national health service. I also pay tribute...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
Another week, another health debate, and this week another health minister, too. I welcome this debate on recruiting, retaining and valuing nurses, given tha...
Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD):
LD
I am pleased to speak in the debate to acknowledge the work that Scotland's nurses do in international nurses week and throughout the year, and to highlight ...
Brian Adam:
SNP
Will Margaret Smith give way?
Mrs Smith:
LD
I will not give way. I have no time. I have only five minutes.
Brian Adam:
SNP
There will be no debate if she does not give way.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
SNP
Order.
Mrs Smith:
LD
In areas in which the Scottish Executive has the power to make a positive difference to conditions, it has been listening to the RCN's campaign and has made ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
We now come to the open debate. We are obviously tight for time, but I will allow speeches of four minutes with some extra time for interventions.
Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab):
Lab
I agree with other members that it is highly appropriate for us to hold this debate during international nurses week. Since 1997, Labour has delivered 20,000...
Nicola Sturgeon:
SNP
Will Sarah Boyack give way?
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
No, thank you, Ms Sturgeon. Those concerns are a legacy of what the Tories did to the health service. The recent pronouncements of Liam Fox show the Tories' ...
Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con):
Con
Will the member take an intervention?
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
I will take a brief intervention.
Ben Wallace:
Con
How does Ms Boyack reconcile her fine words and the fine words of the Scottish Executive with the fact that the chancellor will take £5.8 million out of the ...
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
I have not met any nurse who is unhappy about the massive increase that everyone recognises is going into the NHS. We need to talk up the fact that the money...
Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
Nurses now take on greater roles and greater responsibilities than ever before, but the average age of nurses is increasing. The average age in Scotland is n...
Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
The contribution that our nurses make to our health care system is phenomenal. They are the backbone of the NHS and without them the NHS would crumble. There...
Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab):
Lab
Jamie McGrigor's contribution—or perhaps what was omitted from it—speaks volumes about the lack of consensus in Scotland on sustained and rising investment i...
Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
Members of all parties have produced statistics on a variety of issues, such as the number of nurses who leave the profession, the number of nursing students...
Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
I will concentrate on two points—job satisfaction and prisons. Three things make a job worth having and attract people to it: pay and conditions; the public ...
Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab):
Lab
I declare an interest as a member of Unison. As a nurse, I am delighted to speak in today's debate. During my years in the health service, I considered mysel...