The letter welcomes the new Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce, and the commitment to reform Agenda for Change, and calls on the Cabinet Secretary to ensure that both of these deliver real change. It highlights the need for further improvements to pay, terms and conditions in the years ahead and increased investment to ensure that health and care providers can tackle nursing vacancies and meet their safe staffing duties.
Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland Director said:
“The message to the Cabinet Secretary is no different than earlier this week when the new First Minister was announced. The workforce crisis in Scotland’s health and care services must be Michael Matheson’s top priority. Whilst imminent strike action from Scotland’s nurses has been avoided, chronic staff shortages and low morale are still very real and having a huge impact on the safety and quality of patient care.
“We need to see urgent action to tackle the exodus of nursing staff from our profession and make nursing a career of choice once again. The new Cabinet Secretary must prioritise the work of the new Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce and live up to his predecessor’s promise to reform Agenda for Change to ensure that it recognises the clinical skills and expertise of nursing staff.
“We look forward to working with the new Cabinet Secretary to build a sustainable nursing workforce to meet Scotland’s needs.”
