29.08.12
‘Lowest level’ of nurses and midwives in Scotland
The number of nurses and midwives working in the NHS is at its lowest level for almost seven years in Scotland, official figures show.
The equivalent of 56,184 full-time staff were working across Scotland at the end of June – the lowest number since September 2005, and over 2,000 less than in September 2009.
Some of the reduction of the staff is due to over 100 nurses in Highlands becoming council employees, as a result of plans to integrate health and social care in the area.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “There are more qualified nurses now than in September 2006 and there are substantially more qualified nurses and midwives per 1,000 population in Scotland than the rest of the UK, with 7.9 nurses and midwives compared to 5.9 in England, 7.2 in Wales and 7.6 in Northern Ireland.
“The provision of NHS care is shifting to meet the needs of patients and we are supporting NHS boards to provide nursing in the community”
But the opposition criticised the cuts. Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “We cannot allow the number of nurses, midwives and hospital staff to continue to plummet while the demands on our NHS grow.”
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