Chamber
Plenary, 09 May 2002
09 May 2002 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Nurses
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 myself first and foremost to be a member of the health care team. That is why I am particularly pleased that the motion pays tribute to all members of the team.
I am pleased to welcome the Executive's commitment and efforts to recruit, retain and value nurses, given that that has proved difficult in the past. "Facing the Future", the report on last year's convention on recruitment and retention in nursing and midwifery, states:
"the career journey for nurses and midwives is often ill defined and ambiguous".
I concur with that point. Perhaps the main reason for the problem is that, now, the only route into nursing is academic. Some members will know that the issue is a particular hobby-horse of mine. I believe that we are disfranchising many people who would make excellent nurses but who are unable to or choose not to follow the academic route into nursing. If we are to take the recruitment and retention of nurses seriously, we must consider making other choices available.
Over the years, one of the most important issues facing nurses has been their extended role in health care. The minister mentioned some of the specialist nurses who were recently recruited to work in our communities and to make things better for a host of people with specific illnesses.
Nursing as a career has changed and developed and nurses have been flexible enough to welcome the challenges that have been offered. However, payback for that willingness has not always been forthcoming. Career structures often leave a lot to be desired; if pathways are not clearly marked out in work force planning arrangements, that can lead to frustration. I am pleased that the minister mentioned the extra £1.75 million for skills development. That is an important area, which I hope will lead to better career pathways and more satisfaction with career development.
Flexibility is another important issue. Family-friendly policies, such as child care provision and flexible working arrangements, are sadly lacking in some workplaces, although many trusts are now working towards implementing such policies. I am particularly pleased that the Executive is monitoring the situation and will publish evidence later this year. Actions must be demonstrable. We should not just have paper policies.
Another issue that all NHS staff face is employment stability. Acute services reviews—my colleague Brian Fitzpatrick mentioned them in the context of the proposed ambulatory care and diagnostic facilities at Stobhill hospital and the Victoria infirmary in Glasgow—are much needed, but they have led to uncertainty about future workplaces and staff have not always been involved in consultation. That does not help recruitment. I know that to be the case from personal experience at the Victoria infirmary in my area. Hospitals facing closure have great difficulty in attracting staff in the short term. That must be borne in mind when acute services reviews or any changes in service provision are planned.
Attracting people into nursing in the first place is probably the most important issue. Recruitment campaigns must be imaginative and targeted at young people and those who wish to have a career change later in life. However, that applies to a large number of careers in the health service. How many people today aspire to be medical laboratory scientific officers, occupational therapists or radiographers? Probably not many, unfortunately. There are national shortages in a host of occupational groups in the NHS. We must channel our energies into addressing that problem.
I urge the minister to examine seriously the way in which we train our nurses and to consider offering a non-academic route into the profession. I am happy to support the motion and I welcome the Executive's commitment to value nurses, particularly as this is international nurses week. However, I emphasise that nurses are only one part of the team and I look forward to the day when we celebrate international porters week or the international week of medical secretaries.
I am pleased to welcome the Executive's commitment and efforts to recruit, retain and value nurses, given that that has proved difficult in the past. "Facing the Future", the report on last year's convention on recruitment and retention in nursing and midwifery, states:
"the career journey for nurses and midwives is often ill defined and ambiguous".
I concur with that point. Perhaps the main reason for the problem is that, now, the only route into nursing is academic. Some members will know that the issue is a particular hobby-horse of mine. I believe that we are disfranchising many people who would make excellent nurses but who are unable to or choose not to follow the academic route into nursing. If we are to take the recruitment and retention of nurses seriously, we must consider making other choices available.
Over the years, one of the most important issues facing nurses has been their extended role in health care. The minister mentioned some of the specialist nurses who were recently recruited to work in our communities and to make things better for a host of people with specific illnesses.
Nursing as a career has changed and developed and nurses have been flexible enough to welcome the challenges that have been offered. However, payback for that willingness has not always been forthcoming. Career structures often leave a lot to be desired; if pathways are not clearly marked out in work force planning arrangements, that can lead to frustration. I am pleased that the minister mentioned the extra £1.75 million for skills development. That is an important area, which I hope will lead to better career pathways and more satisfaction with career development.
Flexibility is another important issue. Family-friendly policies, such as child care provision and flexible working arrangements, are sadly lacking in some workplaces, although many trusts are now working towards implementing such policies. I am particularly pleased that the Executive is monitoring the situation and will publish evidence later this year. Actions must be demonstrable. We should not just have paper policies.
Another issue that all NHS staff face is employment stability. Acute services reviews—my colleague Brian Fitzpatrick mentioned them in the context of the proposed ambulatory care and diagnostic facilities at Stobhill hospital and the Victoria infirmary in Glasgow—are much needed, but they have led to uncertainty about future workplaces and staff have not always been involved in consultation. That does not help recruitment. I know that to be the case from personal experience at the Victoria infirmary in my area. Hospitals facing closure have great difficulty in attracting staff in the short term. That must be borne in mind when acute services reviews or any changes in service provision are planned.
Attracting people into nursing in the first place is probably the most important issue. Recruitment campaigns must be imaginative and targeted at young people and those who wish to have a career change later in life. However, that applies to a large number of careers in the health service. How many people today aspire to be medical laboratory scientific officers, occupational therapists or radiographers? Probably not many, unfortunately. There are national shortages in a host of occupational groups in the NHS. We must channel our energies into addressing that problem.
I urge the minister to examine seriously the way in which we train our nurses and to consider offering a non-academic route into the profession. I am happy to support the motion and I welcome the Executive's commitment to value nurses, particularly as this is international nurses week. However, I emphasise that nurses are only one part of the team and I look forward to the day when we celebrate international porters week or the international week of medical secretaries.
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...