Scottish Labour pledge to end NHS ‘mismanagement’ with new workforce plan

Scottish Labour has pledged to end what it called the “wasteful and dangerous mismanagement” of the NHS and deliver a new workforce plan that it says will ensure the health service “has the staff it needs”.

The party pointed to figures showing NHS Scotland has spent more than £635 million on agency nursing and midwifery staff over the last 10 years – which it said had been needed to “plug the gaps of SNP failure”.

The stats show that over the same period, agency nurses and midwives worked a total of 13.7 million hours in NHS Scotland.

The party has pledged to “fix the mess” by introducing a 10-year workforce plan linking university places to training posts, jobs and career development, as well as flexible working arrangements to help retain staff and allow experienced staff to stay in work longer.

The party also said it would introduce a new NHS work requirement for Scottish medical, dental and nursing students – so that those who are funded to train in Scotland must work for at least five years in Scotland’s NHS or social care, or pay back their tuition and bursaries.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said “The SNP’s failed workforce planning costs our overstretched NHS millions and piles pressure on hardworking staff.

“Scotland cannot keep paying the price for SNP failure.

“After nearly two decades of John Swinney and the SNP, Scotland’s NHS is on life support and nurses and midwives are being asked to do the impossible.

“Scottish Labour will end the SNP’s wasteful and dangerous mismanagement of our NHS and deliver a real workforce plan.

“We will put in place a 10-year workforce plan to make sure our NHS has the staff it needs, we will make it easier for staff to stay in the NHS and we will make sure people who train here stay here.

“We will support Scotland’s fantastic NHS staff and make sure resources reach the frontline services instead of plugging the gaps of SNP failure.

“The only way to fix the SNP’s mess and deliver a better future for our NHS is by voting Scottish Labour on May 7.”

Collette Stevenson, SNP candidate for East Kilbride, said: “The SNP has demonstrated that it values and is committed to investing in Scotland’s NHS workforce – that is why we have not had strikes in our NHS, while Labour is in chaos in England with doctors’ strikes.

“Since coming to power, there are 31,300 more doctors, nurses and other staff working in Scotland’s NHS.

“Anas Sarwar is full of empty promises but with analysis this week showing that Labour would slash £1 billion from Scotland’s NHS budget, he must come clean with voters on what he plans to cut.

“The SNP is the only party with a serious plan for Scotland’s NHS. It is working and we are determined to see it through. A re-elected SNP government will work tirelessly to carry on improving Scotland’s NHS.”