SNP snooper scheme faces staffing crisis
THE SNP faces a ‘massive shortfall’ of health visitors to fill Named Persons roles, after it emerged that the NHS is more than 330 short of the number promised. The Scottish Government has repeatedly replied to staff shortage concerns over its flagship scheme by stating that it is funding 500 extra health visitor posts.
But, weeks away from the controversial ‘state snooper’ scheme being rolled out, it has failed to provide two-thirds of them.
In the Lothian area, none of the 61 fulltime equivalent health visitors promised by 2017-18 are yet working, with those taken on so far still in training.
In Greater Glasgow and Clyde, only 40 of 200 promised posts have materialised.
The SNP’s 500 promised extra posts are ‘whole-time equivalent’ – meaning more than 500 staff could be taken on to fill them, for example, if two people work part-time to fill one job.
From August 31, health visitors will be responsible for supervising 280,000 Scots children, from a few days after they are born to their first day at primary school.
A Scottish Daily Mail investigation has found that the NHS is at least 332 health visitors short of those promised by 2017-18.
Simon Calvert, spokesman for the No to Named Persons campaign, said it was a ‘massive shortfall’, adding: ‘The situation in general is grave, but in the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas it is catastrophic. Without these professionals in place the scheme is unworkable.’
The Royal College of Nursing has already warned that one of Scotland’s biggest health boards, NHS Lothian, may not have enough staff to cope with the scheme.
Health visitors who become Named Persons will be expected to visit new parents eight times in their child’s first year. The biggest shortfalls were reported by NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. NHS Tayside, which has been allocated 68 of the 500 additional posts, has filled 33.4 so far. NHS Lanarkshire, allocated 37.5, has filled 13.
Smaller boards are also short, as is Highland Council, which has an integrated children’s service and will oversee part of NHS Highland’s allocation.
NHS Highland, Fife, Grampian and Orkney were unable to provide full figures for their allocation and unfilled posts. It means the twothirds of extra health visitor roles yet to be filled could be a significant underestimate.
Latest vacancy rates from health service data collection organisation Information Services Division Scotland (ISD) show that 8.6 per cent of health visitors’ jobs are unfilled, even before extra posts are taken into account.
Liz Smith, education spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives, said: ‘It is very clear that the current recruitment drive does not go nearly far enough. Many professionals do not believe there are necessary resources in place to avoid excessive caseloads and the detrimental implications this will have for the care of our most vulnerable children.’
A spokesman for NHS Lothian said: ‘We receive incremental funding from the Scottish Government for 61 health visiting posts from 2015 to 2018.
‘We currently have 22 in training now and 40 next year.’
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the board currently has 236 whole-time equivalent health visitors and aims to increase this by 200 over the next three years. A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We are providing investment to health boards to increase the number of health visitors, building on record high staffing levels in Scotland’s NHS.
‘This is provided over four financial years, 2014-2018, to allow appropriate training and support to be offered to all newly qualifying health visitors.
‘This will ensure we have the 500 health visitors in place in 2018.’