The Scottish government established the Ministerial Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce to address Scotland’s nursing workforce crisis.

The Taskforce was secured as a direct result of the RCN’s campaigning on safe staffing and fair pay for nursing.

In February 2025, the Scottish government published its report Delivering Together for a Stronger Nursing and Midwifery Workforce, the culmination of the two years of collaborative working through the Ministerial led Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce.

The Taskforce was secured as a direct result of the RCN’s campaigning on safe staffing and fair pay for nursing.

With over 40 recommendations shaped by the nursing voice and that reflect our priorities for action, the report is a significant step and provides a strategic roadmap for Government and other stakeholders to begin to tackle nursing retention and recruitment in Scotland.

As the Implementation Board is established and the recommendations are taken forward, we will continue to ensure action is informed by the views and experiences of RCN members and other existing and future nursing staff.

Led by the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, Neil Gray MSP, the Taskforce was established in February 2023. It brings together recognised nursing and midwifery workforce experts, academia, Royal Colleges, Trade Unions, NHS, Social Care and Scottish Government representatives. 

Among the issues the Taskforce is considering are building exemplary workforce cultures; addressing operational barriers; improving working conditions, facilities and learning opportunities. 

Retention and recruitment are the key focus. Four working groups have been set up. These are looking at attraction, education and development, culture and leadership and wellbeing. The working groups will consider the issues and best practice in these areas and go on to make a series of recommendations to the Taskforce aimed at delivering sustainable, long-term change that will make nursing and midwifery a career of choice.

The taskforce was established as a direct result of campaigning by RCN members. Read more.

RCN Scotland is represented on the Taskforce and the four sub groups. RCN Scotland Director Colin Poolman and Associate Director for Nursing, Policy and Professional Practice, Eileen McKenna sit on the Taskforce and co-chair two of the sub groups. 

The Taskforce has finalised and published its recommendations. 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 taskforces listening project which provided frontline nursing staff an opportunity to directly engage in the process.

The RCN has secured the establishment of an implementation board to oversee the delivery of the recommendations and actions. We will continue to work with each of the working groups, pushing our priorities for action, and continuing to ensure work is informed by the views and experience of our members. 

We have been clear from the outset of the Taskforce that broad, high-level recommendations will not be enough; it is critical that defined phased actions are agreed, funded and delivered inline with set timescales.