Chamber
Plenary, 27 Sep 2001
27 Sep 2001 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
“Value Nurses” Campaign
I begin by congratulating Margaret Smith on securing the debate and by welcoming nurses to the public gallery. I applaud the enormous contribution that they make to patient care, both in the community and in hospitals. The Scottish Executive is determined to promote nursing as a valuable occupation and to demonstrate by our actions that nurses are valued.
As in other related areas, I believe that we should balance the positive initiatives that have been taken against the various problems that certainly remain. Those problems must not and will not be swept under the carpet. That is why we need to come together to address them positively and constructively.
On Tuesday, as several members have mentioned, Susan Deacon, the Minister for Health and Community Care, announced arrangements for the nurse recruitment and retention convention, which will bring together key players in the nursing and midwifery professions in Scotland and overseas to address long-term recruitment and retention issues. The convention will be held on 19 November. Invitations have been issued to a wide variety of people who have an interest in the future of nursing in NHS in Scotland—staff representative bodies, directors of nursing, providers of nurse education and nurses themselves—to come to the summit to discuss and investigate innovative ways of addressing recruitment and retention at all grades in the nursing profession.
The convention will not be a talking shop or a one-off event. Instead, the round-table discussion will give all parties an opportunity to look at the key areas that affect recruitment and retention and to follow that up with the necessary initiatives that will develop local and national actions towards our shared objectives.
The value nurses campaign began with six demands. I am pleased that the first of those was met in July when I announced a 10.4 per cent rise in student nurse bursaries from 1 September this year. I hope that that will help to some extent to attract nurses and keep them in training. Since 1996-97, student intakes have risen by 15 per cent and 10,000 more nurses will qualify in the next five years. That is 1,500 more than was originally planned. There are also 450 more qualified nurses now than there were in 1997. However, as we know, there are vacancies—albeit fewer here than there are in England. The number of vacancies that last over three months is 0.6 per cent. At the convention, we shall certainly give serious consideration to the RCN's proposals on return-to-practice courses. The possibility of more flexible return-to-practice courses will also be considered at the convention.
Family-friendly policies are very relevant to recruitment and retention, as Margaret Smith reminded us. We already require all NHS employers to meet, or exceed, best-practice guidance on family-friendly policies as part of the new staff governance standard. In order to help employers, guidance on family-friendly policies was launched recently, including guidance on flexible working, child care and career breaks. We shall ensure that those policies are implemented. Further discussion on those issues will take place at the convention.
This year, for the third year in a row, we have implemented in full the recommendations of the independent nurses pay review body. The latest pay award means that pay for all nurses has increased by 20 per cent in cash terms since 1997. I note that Tommy Sheridan called for a Scottish pay review, but I know that the RCN supports a UK approach to the matter.
We know, however, that the current NHS pay and grading structure does not meet the needs of today's NHS. That is why the health department, along with the other UK health departments, is playing a full part in discussions on "Agenda for Change", which Jamie McGrigor asked about and which sets out proposals for modernising the NHS pay system. The proposed new system will underpin better career progression and modern conditions of service and it will ensure that all NHS in Scotland staff are rewarded fairly, according to the work that they do and the contribution that they make, rather than according to their job titles.
As in other related areas, I believe that we should balance the positive initiatives that have been taken against the various problems that certainly remain. Those problems must not and will not be swept under the carpet. That is why we need to come together to address them positively and constructively.
On Tuesday, as several members have mentioned, Susan Deacon, the Minister for Health and Community Care, announced arrangements for the nurse recruitment and retention convention, which will bring together key players in the nursing and midwifery professions in Scotland and overseas to address long-term recruitment and retention issues. The convention will be held on 19 November. Invitations have been issued to a wide variety of people who have an interest in the future of nursing in NHS in Scotland—staff representative bodies, directors of nursing, providers of nurse education and nurses themselves—to come to the summit to discuss and investigate innovative ways of addressing recruitment and retention at all grades in the nursing profession.
The convention will not be a talking shop or a one-off event. Instead, the round-table discussion will give all parties an opportunity to look at the key areas that affect recruitment and retention and to follow that up with the necessary initiatives that will develop local and national actions towards our shared objectives.
The value nurses campaign began with six demands. I am pleased that the first of those was met in July when I announced a 10.4 per cent rise in student nurse bursaries from 1 September this year. I hope that that will help to some extent to attract nurses and keep them in training. Since 1996-97, student intakes have risen by 15 per cent and 10,000 more nurses will qualify in the next five years. That is 1,500 more than was originally planned. There are also 450 more qualified nurses now than there were in 1997. However, as we know, there are vacancies—albeit fewer here than there are in England. The number of vacancies that last over three months is 0.6 per cent. At the convention, we shall certainly give serious consideration to the RCN's proposals on return-to-practice courses. The possibility of more flexible return-to-practice courses will also be considered at the convention.
Family-friendly policies are very relevant to recruitment and retention, as Margaret Smith reminded us. We already require all NHS employers to meet, or exceed, best-practice guidance on family-friendly policies as part of the new staff governance standard. In order to help employers, guidance on family-friendly policies was launched recently, including guidance on flexible working, child care and career breaks. We shall ensure that those policies are implemented. Further discussion on those issues will take place at the convention.
This year, for the third year in a row, we have implemented in full the recommendations of the independent nurses pay review body. The latest pay award means that pay for all nurses has increased by 20 per cent in cash terms since 1997. I note that Tommy Sheridan called for a Scottish pay review, but I know that the RCN supports a UK approach to the matter.
We know, however, that the current NHS pay and grading structure does not meet the needs of today's NHS. That is why the health department, along with the other UK health departments, is playing a full part in discussions on "Agenda for Change", which Jamie McGrigor asked about and which sets out proposals for modernising the NHS pay system. The proposed new system will underpin better career progression and modern conditions of service and it will ensure that all NHS in Scotland staff are rewarded fairly, according to the work that they do and the contribution that they make, rather than according to their job titles.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Sir David Steel):
NPA
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S1M-2054, in the name of Margaret Smith, on the Royal College of Nursing Scotland's value ...
Motion debated,
That the Parliament supports the Royal College of Nursing Scotland's "Value Nurses" campaign, which highlights the crucial role that nurses play in deliverin...
Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD):
LD
I am delighted and honoured to sponsor a motion to value and recognise the wide range of work done by Scotland's nurses and to support the RCN's value nurses...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
SNP
I will not be able to call everyone, even with speeches of three minutes, so I am prepared to entertain a motion without notice to extend the debate by 10 mi...
Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP):
SNP
May I move a motion to extend the business?
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
Yes.
Motion moved,
That the meeting be extended by 10 minutes.—Mrs Margaret Ewing.
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
The question is, that the motion be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab):
Lab
I must declare an interest—I am a member of Unison. As the only nurse in the Scottish Parliament, I feel qualified to contribute to the debate. Margaret Smit...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP):
SNP
I congratulate Margaret Smith on securing the debate and Janis Hughes on her contribution to it. I am sure that there will not be a great deal of controversy...
Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
I congratulate Margaret Smith on securing the debate, which I welcome. Well motivated, happy nurses are key members of our Scottish health team. Two weeks ag...
Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab):
Lab
I hesitate to introduce a partisan element to the debate, but Mr McGrigor has prompted me to do so. I take it that, at some point in this year zero speech, h...
Mr McGrigor:
Con
I regret to say that the Conservative health spokesperson is currently recovering from a very bad car crash, and I am sorry that she is not here today. I do ...
Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD):
LD
In this brief speech, I will use my experience of the health service over the past few months to highlight two things we should do if we value our nurses.Fir...
Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I too congratulate Margaret Smith on securing this debate, and on making an excellent opening speech. In no way do I want to be partisan, but I think that th...
Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP):
SSP
I endorse what Alex Neil said and I thank Margaret Smith for securing the debate and for the quality of her speech. Nurses are undoubtedly the Henrik Larsson...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the nurses, who come from a virtually all-female profession, to the Scottish Parliament. It is worth noting that the vast majority of nurses, midwi...
Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I will be brief, to allow other members an opportunity to speak. I thank Margaret Smith for securing this important debate.As part of the RCN's value nurses ...
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con):
Con
I congratulate Margaret Smith on raising this extremely important debate. We should all be grateful to Scotland's nurses for what they have done over countle...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
I call Jamie Stone, to be followed by a 60-second speech from Kenny Gibson.
Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD):
LD
I also congratulate Margaret Smith on securing this debate. On behalf of the Liberal Democrats, I welcome our friends in the public gallery. Although the tur...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
We only have time for the briefest of contributions from Kenny Gibson.
Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I thank the Presiding Officer for accepting my plea. I do not consider nursing to be a female profession but a caring profession. Although there are many thi...
Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I congratulate Margaret Smith on securing today's welcome debate. I also add my support to the RCN's value nurses campaign. The minister and I are joining th...
The Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care (Malcolm Chisholm):
Lab
I begin by congratulating Margaret Smith on securing the debate and by welcoming nurses to the public gallery. I applaud the enormous contribution that they ...
Mrs Ewing:
SNP
I have heard many of those comments before, sometimes in the House of Commons where I served as an RCN panel member. Will the minister give one concrete exam...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I made an announcement in the summer in response to one of those demands and I have stated clearly that the other demands—some of which I have yet to deal wi...