Question reference: S6W-26741
- Date lodged: 8 April 2024
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Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 April 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide funding to fill any gaps in NHS Scotland's provision for community children’s nursing posts.
Answer
The Scottish Government increased student funded places for pre-registration nursing, including children's nursing, for ten successive years and we now have a record intake target of 4,536 to support workforce sustainability.
Whilst the Scottish Government sets strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing are in the first instance the responsibility of the relevant NHS board. This will depend on the service needs of each board taking account of national, regional and local priorities, and we expect NHS boards to plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities.
The Scottish Government actively supports health boards across Scotland to plan locally for service need and for service delivery.