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The warnings come as an Audit Scotland report said recruitment targets were "unlikely to be met." Scottish Labor have warned the next prime minister that the NHS "cannot survive" unless the jobs crisis is resolved. Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan are in the SNP leadership race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as party leader and prime minister.
In a warning to Ms Sturgeon's successor, Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labor health spokesperson, called for an end to "more than a decade of failed workforce planning" under the Scottish government.
There were some 6,319 nursing and midwifery vacancies across Scotland as of September 2022.
And the Royal College of Nursing last month warned of staff retention issues amid a 13% rise in the number of nurses leaving the register.
The Scottish government's recovery strategy aims to recruit 800 new GPs by 2027 and a further 1,000 mental health workers, but Audit Scotland warned last month that those targets were unlikely to be met.
Speaking ahead of a visit to the British Heart Foundation's cardiovascular research center in Glasgow, Ms Baillie said the problems date back to Ms Sturgeon's time as health secretary, where training venues for nursing, but said the NHS had reached a "crisis" under current health. Secretary Mr. Yousaf.
She said: 'The next prime minister must make NHS workforce planning a priority because the health service cannot survive any more of the same.
"Nicola Sturgeon made the cuts that caused this crisis and Humza Yousaf let it get worse.
“This cannot go on – this staff shortage is at the heart of our NHS chaos, leaving dedicated NHS staff depleted and putting patients at risk.
“The current NHS workforce plan is not worth the paper it is written on.
"After more than a decade of failed workforce planning under the SNP, we need change."
A porte-parole du gouvernement écossais declaré: «Les effectifs du NHS Scotland on atteint des niveaux historiquementélevés, well up by 20% after September 2006, with the increases in personnel (WTE) of more than 30,000 au cours de this period.
"During the same period, medical and dental consultants increased by nearly 66%, A&E consultants more than tripled, and registered nurses and midwives increased by more than 10%. In fact, we've experienced a decade of straight years of staff growth.
“We are working with stakeholders to develop alternative nursing and midwifery career paths that allow people to study and work as they progress in their careers.
“These new routes are intended to attract new staff to NHS Scotland while also providing opportunities for existing staff to develop and progress into registered roles.
"Our new Nursing and Midwifery Task Force will seek measures to improve the working conditions of nurses and midwives, as well as increase the number of staff."
PA wire
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