Nursing figures add to Gray’s mammoth task

Using agency staff to fill gaps is very costly at a time of enormous financial pressure

New Health Secretary Neil Gray is not in the market for new problems at the moment, but they continue to mount nevertheless.

Mr Gray yesterday carried out his first hospital visit since taking on the job, and declared tackling long waits for treatment in the NHS will be one of his “overriding priorities”.

Hospital capacity and staffing will have to be a key part of that, however, and there is worrying news today about the nursing workforce of the future.

New figures show that the number of applicants for nursing courses in Scotland is down 8.3 per cent compared to the same point last year. This is now the third year in a row where there has been a decrease and in Scotland the number of applicants remains below pre-pandemic levels.

It is a particular issue because there are more than 3,700 registered nurse vacancies, and using agency staff to fill gaps is very costly at a time of enormous financial pressure.

Fewer staff also increase the pressure on those that are there, which can in turn lead to them leaving the profession. There are many factors at play, including the impact of Brexit, and no easy solution.

Eileen Mckenna, RCN Scotland Associate Director, says today that attracting potential applicants to nursing is getting harder and harder every year.

“It’s an extremely worrying trend. Scotland does not have the number of nurses now that it needs to meet the demand for care in health and social care services,” she says.

“This is a desperate situation and it is more important than ever that the Ministerial Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce proposes the right actions to directly address the workforce challenges.”

What that means is it is up to the Scottish Government to find the financial resources needed to deliver the change – again, no easy task. Nursing has to be viewed as an attractive career if this trend is to be reversed.

Mr Gray yesterday accepted his new job was a “challenge”, but insisted it was “one that I relish”. He certainly does have his work cut out.