AUDIT Scotland’s report on the NHS in Scotland, published last week, made difficult reading but its key finding – that workforce capacity is the biggest risk to NHS recovery – came as no surprise to the Royal College of Nursing or our members.
It is clear that, as the largest group within the NHS workforce, the retention and recruitment of nursing staff must be an absolute priority for the Scottish Government and NHS employers.
Nursing can be the most fulfilling career. But more must be done to make it attractive and to reward the skills, expertise and safety-critical role that nurses play. Fair pay is the building block to achieving this and today we have opened our consultation on the new pay offer from the Scottish Government.
Being paid fairly is crucial, and many of our members have been hit hard by the cost of living crisis. But pay alone will not address the chronic staff shortages and service pressures.
The offer being considered by members also includes a commitment to review the wider Agenda for Change terms and conditions for NHS staff. The current structure has been in place for more than 20 years and must be modernised to reflect the changes to roles, responsibilities and how services are delivered.
Action is required to look at the long-term issues that impact on career progression and flexibility for nursing roles and to ensure that the knowledge and clinical expertise of registered nurses are recognised and valued.
These proposals are a direct result of the RCN’s ongoing dispute and the strength of our mandate for strike action. We are recommending our members accept this new offer as we believe it will have a positive impact. However, the decision sits with our members and if they vote to reject, we will not hesitate to act on our mandate for industrial action – a move which the latest polling shows the public would support.
I must acknowledge that the Scottish Government does appear to finally be listening and willing to act on safe staffing. The ministerial-led Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce announced last week sits alongside the review of Agenda for Change but is not linked to the pay offer. Again, this has been secured by the RCN as a direct response to our members standing up and speaking out.
This taskforce is an opportunity to address many long-standing concerns and for the nursing profession to look to the future. As well as making recommendations on how to retain and develop our experienced and skilled existing staff, it will consider the support available for student nurses to ensure they can complete their studies, join and stay in the workforce and will suggest improvements to the routes into the profession to encourage more people into nursing.
Nursing staff provide care from birth to end of life. This is an opportunity to recognise their safety critical role, to address the workforce crisis and to make nursing a career of choice once again. The RCN will hold the Scottish Government to this commitment to deliver a sustainable nursing workforce for Scotland.
Colin Poolman is Director of RCN Scotland
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