What are the SNP doing for Nurses?

There are now more qualified nurses and midwives since the SNP came to office. We’ve also committed to enshrining safe staffing levels for our NHS in law.

Unlike the UK Government, we are completely committed to maintaining a nursing bursary and free university tuition, ensuring that we continue to attract the best people to train for nursing and midwifery roles. We are investing £2 million in additional training for GP nurses, and delivering an estimated 2,600 more training places for nurses and midwives.

We are also investing in the workforce by training an additional 500 advanced nurse practitioners, who will treat more people in the community and play an important role in the integrated health care of the future.

Nurses in Scotland, across all bands, are better paid than anywhere in the UK. The pay cap, while never desirable, was necessary to protect jobs and services. But with inflation on the rise, it is not sustainable. 

We have now lifted the cap on public sector wage increases. Public servants earning less than £30,000 will receive a 3 per cent increase, those earning above £30,000 will receive a 2 per cent increase and we will cap increases for those earning more than £80,000.