We welcome the 44 recommended actions announced in the report and see this as a first step towards tackling the nursing workforce crisis. These recommendations were shaped, not only by the Priorities for Action we raised throughout the work of the taskforce and its sub-groups, but also through the taskforce’s listening project which provided frontline nursing staff an opportunity to directly engage in the process. Taken together, these actions should provide a strategic roadmap to begin to tackle nursing retention and recruitment in Scotland.

The Government have also, following our calls, established an Implementation Board to ensure the recommendations are acted upon, and we look forward to working with them. However, we are clear that nursing needs commitment from the Scottish government to fully fund these ambitious actions if we are to see positive change for Scotland’s nursing workforce.

Colin Poolman, Director at RCN Scotland said:

“It is only through member campaigning that we have reached this point. The report is only the first step in the process to tackle the workforce crisis and the Scottish government must now make good on the promises it has made.

A clear, fully funded implementation plan is needed to ensure this work delivers the significant improvements needed now and for the future.

The Scottish government must prioritise this funding and implementation for it to meet its own aspiration of making Scotland the best place for nurses and midwives to work.’

The taskforce was set up by the then First Minister, Humza Yousaf MSP, to recommend a series of actions to address the nursing workforce crisis, support the retention and development of existing nursing staff, and encourage more people to consider a career in nursing.

RCN Scotland were represented on the four working groups looking at wellbeing, culture and leadership, attraction and retention and education and development. Throughout the process we ensured the member voice was at the heart of discussions to tackle the exodus of nursing staff from health and care services.