NHS recovery plan: progress report 2023

Staffing and Wellbeing

Our health and social care workforce is one of Scotland’s biggest assets, and our highly skilled, diverse, dedicated and motivated staff have been key to both our response to the pandemic and our ongoing recovery from the subsequent impacts. We owe them not only our thanks, but to take action to deliver improvements in planning, attracting, training, employing and nurturing the workforce, progressing towards a sustainable, skilled health and care workforce, with attractive career choices, where all are respected and valued for the work they do.

Developing our workforce

It is important to ensure we have the right workforce in place to drive the recovery of our NHS, and that is why our plan set out a number of actions aimed at expanding the workforce, with a particular emphasis on recruiting more young people or those who might previously not considered careers in the health service.

Due to the meaningful engagement with both Agenda for Change and Junior Doctor trade unions, we have avoided any industrial action in Scotland – the only part of the UK to avoid NHS strikes. In March, all NHS Agenda for Change Trade Unions unanimously accepted the 6.5% on average 2023/24 pay offer which has now been implemented, and in August, a record pay deal was accepted by the BMA Scotland members of a 12.4% pay uplift for 2023/24 for Junior Doctors.

In order to invest £11 million over life of plan in national and international recruitment campaigns, funding of £8m was allocated to health boards in 2022/23 to support the recruitment of over 800 international nurses, midwives and AHPs. A further £3m has been allocated to date in 2023/24. A number of domestic events have been supported over the last 12 months, including working as NHS Scotland to promote careers at the annual Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives and Royal College of Psychiatrists conferences. Further events are planned for later in 2023.

We have committed to increase the number of undergraduate medical training places by 100 per annum by 2026 and double the number of Widening Access places, and continue to deliver this, with a 100 places having been added in the academic year 2023-24. This included 25 ‘Widening Access (WA)’ places, raising the total number of WA places to 115. The remaining 200 places will be allocated following a competitive bidding process.

We are continuing to provide additional training opportunities through the NHS Academy for new and existing staff in key areas of need. The NHS Scotland Academy continues to develop and deliver a broad range of bespoke training opportunities in areas including pharmacy, diagnostics, peri-operative practice and anaesthetics as well as tailored support aimed at those staff who have been recruited internationally.

As part of the NHS Scotland Academy and NES, the “NHS Scotland Youth Academy” has been established to support boards in bringing a brand-new generation into the NHS workforce, including those who may not have previously viewed the NHS as an employer of choice. The “NHS Pathway Pilot” launching this academic year will prepare and inspire up to 80 senior phase secondary school pupils for entering careers in health and social care. In addition, the Armed Forces Talent Programme has been established to support military service leavers and veterans secure employment in NHS Scotland.

Last year the Prince’s Trust and NHS Scotland Partnership supported 98 young people through the ‘Get Into’ and ‘Get Started’ programmes. In 23/24 they have committed to supporting 267 young people.

Through the Anchors programme, the workforce workstream will support health boards in recruiting and retaining a workforce that is representative of their local populations, to improve the prospects of local people. The Anchors Workforce Strategic Group workplan will draw together a wide range of strategic drivers including the National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care, the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, Tackling Child Poverty, and No One Left Behind. A key part of this work will be supporting the development of career progression opportunities for new and existing staff through earn as you learn models.

Supporting staff resilience and wellbeing

It’s not only important that we have the right numbers of staff, but also to ensure that our people are well looked after and supported in their health and wellbeing at work. That is why we are committed to offering practical support for the mental and emotional needs of the workforce, and this year work has begun on the development of national resources for peer support and reflective practice for all health and social care staff. Funding was also made available for hot food appliances for junior doctors and a pilot of energy pods for staff to use after difficult interactions at work or long shifts to rest ahead of commuting home – all aimed at supporting our staff in their workplaces.

Our “National Wellbeing Programme” has been developed and continues to include a national wellbeing helpline, the digital national wellbeing hub, coaching for wellbeing, the workforce specialist service and psychological therapies.

We know that better staff experience means better care. The 'Once for Scotland' Workforce Policies Programme is reviewing and transforming our workforce policies to provide single, standardised policies to be used consistently and seamlessly across the NHS in Scotland. These policies and guides outline our core values and provide clear guidance on process and procedure. They have been developed in partnership with NHSScotland employers, trade unions and the Scottish Government. They are available to all staff via a digital platform and advocate a person-centred approach that aims to ensure all employees and workers are treated in a non-discriminatory, fair and consistent way. 

In recognition that throughout their career, employees will face differing demands on their time and energies at home as well as at work, we have developed the national ‘Supporting the Work-Life Balance’ workforce policies. These policies provide staff with a range of flexible working options and support to help them to balance their lifestyle whilst maintaining and promoting the best possible service to our patients and service users. They will be published in early November 2023.