Improved nursing care provided closer to home will be made available – thanks to almost £7 million being invested in training. The funding will ensure the existing nurse workforce have the skills to even better meet the needs of people requiring care in their own homes, GP practices or in other community settings.
The new Primary Care Workforce Plan sets out commitments to significantly expand and strengthen primary care across Scotland and prepare against the challenges of Brexit in NHS Scotland.
Following the introduction of the new GP contract, the plan emphasises the importance of highly skilled multi-disciplinary teams to ensure all patients continue to receive high quality care.
It also outlines plans to support the recruitment of an additional 800 GPs over the next ten years, plus an annual investment of £35 million by 2022 for an extra 800 mental health workers in key locations such as A&E departments, GP practices, police stations and prisons.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “A strong and professional workforce is at the centre of the success of Scotland’s health and social system. The investment in nurse training will mean that more patients are treated in the community and ensure the sustainability of a multi-disciplinary team approach.
“Scotland is leading the way on workforce planning and I am proud that we are the first nation in the UK to publish a plan that not only puts community care at its heart, but also helps prepare us for the expected challenges Brexit may bring for our workforce.”
Theresa Fyffe, RCN Scotland Director, said: “RCN Scotland is pleased that the Scottish Government has listened to our concerns and that this plan reflects the need for a new approach to developing multi-professional primary care teams. We welcome the recognition that district nurses, advanced nurse practitioners and practice nurses are essential in providing safe, high quality care in our communities and to the overall success of primary care services.
“The commitment to investing £6.9 million over three years for the education and training of general practice nurses and district nurses is a move in the right direction. We will continue to work with the Scottish Government to support the development of plans for further investment to grow the community nursing workforce, and district nurses in particular, to meet the needs of patients and shift the balance of care from hospitals and into our communities. We look forward to seeing the detail of the Government’s commitment to this by September.”
Commenting on the report Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary, Miles Briggs said: “The Scottish Conservatives have repeatedly highlighted the necessity to improve workforce planning in order increase the number of doctors and nurses, particularly in primary care.
“Without enough primary care doctors and nurses, patients simply don’t have the support they need in the community.
“However, this plan, once again, highlights just how little the SNP has done to address these shortfalls, and therefore how unachievable the plan to increase the number of GPs is.
“Furthermore, much of this plan focuses on preparations before actual planning can take place – like filling the huge gaps in staffing data.
“It is absurd that the SNP has taken ten years to begin to prepare for workforce planning. The SNP must get a grip of this situation and act urgently to ensure our NHS is properly staffed for the benefit of patients and staff alike.”
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