Nurses lose jobs in Scotland

Almost 1,700 nurses in Scotland have lost their jobs over the last two years, with 1,000 more predicted to go next year. The Scottish NHS cut 500 nurse and midwife jobs between March and June this year, in an effort to make savings.

Other posts including admin and senior management are also being cut.

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie attacked the ruling SNP for the cuts, saying: “The SNP made great play of their promise to protect frontline NHS staff but they are allowing our NHS to haemorrhage staff, especially nurses, at an alarming rate.”

Royal College of Nursing Scotland director Theresa Fyffe said: “The rapid acceleration in the number of nursing posts being lost is bad news for patients. They need to find ways to deliver high quality services to more people with increasingly complex needs with an ever-shrinking workforce.

“It is time for health boards to look more carefully at savings that could be made in other areas, such as sharing clinical and backroom services.”

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “Any reduction in health service workforce causes concern, and I think it's understandable that it does so. The health service operates now in a difficult financial climate, not as difficult as other parts of the public sector and not as difficult as it would be if the Government hadn't taken steps to protect the budget we have taken.”