NHS workforce projections

03/06/2010

Workforce projections for all NHS boards for 2010-11 have been published by the Scottish Government today.

These projections will continue to be subject to local discussion with trade unions and Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, has made clear she expects boards to exert "downward pressure" on the figures by maximising non-workforce efficiencies.

Ms Sturgeon repeated three guarantees for NHS staff and patients:

·          The quality of patient care is paramount

·          There will be no compulsory redundancies

·          There will be more staff in NHS at end of this parliamentary term than at the start

The Health Secretary also announced the establishment of a national scrutiny group - made up of the main health trade unions (UNISON, RCN, RCM, Unite and BMA), NHS employers and the Scottish Government - to subject plans to ongoing scrutiny and ensure they do not compromise the quality of patient care.

Ms Sturgeon said:

"The NHS always has been, and remains, a top priority for this government. We have demonstrated our commitment to the NHS through our actions - despite a £500 million cut in the overall Scottish budget, the NHS received a real terms funding increase.

"But the reality is that NHS budgets are tight and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. It is my job to ensure the NHS delivers the best quality of care, manages the financial challenges facing it, and takes the right decisions now to secure services in the future.

"NHS boards are committed this year to securing more than £100 million in non-workforce related efficiency savings which will all be reinvested in frontline care. But the drive to deliver services more efficiently also involves looking at staffing requirements and these projections are part of that process.

"These figures are not set in stone. I expect boards to continue to try to minimise the reductions by working hard to maximise non-workforce related efficiencies.

"I have also guaranteed that there will be no compulsory redundancies and the quality of patient care remains paramount. The national scrutiny group will scrutinise health boards' plans closely to ensure this remains the case."