Money saved by freezing nursing posts is 'being used to shore up budgets elsewhere'

Focus on spending cuts and short-term financial planning is damaging, RCN Scotland said

The college claims, in a submission to the Scottish Government’s consultation on its 2018-19 health and sport budget, that money saved by freezing nursing posts is being used to shore up budgets in other areas.

RCN Scotland’s response highlighted how staffing problems are compromising patient care.

It included early findings from the college’s review of integration authorities, the bodies established last April in Scotland to combine health boards’ responsibilities for healthcare with local authorities’ duties to provide social care.

Key concerns

‘That review identified some key concerns,’ the RCN said.

‘It showed, for example, that many areas are struggling to recruit community nursing staff and/or are holding nursing vacancies open, often using the salary saving to fund overspends such as in equipment costs. In some areas, there are proposals to cut registered nursing posts.

The government consultation asks for views on where additional resources are needed and savings may be made.

In its submission, RCN Scotland added that a 2016 report by public spending watchdog Audit Scotland found a high level of vacancies in district nursing, school nursing and health visiting, and the ‘significant issue’ that half of community nurses are 50 or over.

The college added that a continued focus on spending cuts will have unintended consequences, and that short-termist financial planning is damaging.

Safe staffing survey

The RCN said ‘the link between staff pay, pressure and the ability of staff to deliver the quality of care they would wish’ needs to be recognised – especially the effects of the 1% pay cap in the NHS.

The RCN submission also reveals findings from a UK-wide safe staffing survey, which includes 3,300 responses from Scotland.

When asked what had been affecting the delivery of high-quality care, one third of respondents in Scotland reported a shortage of nurses.

One quarter complained of a shortfall in healthcare support workers.

A Scottish Government spokesperson told Nursing Standard: ‘It is for individual NHS boards to plan and deliver high-quality, sustainable services, ensuring they have the right staffing in place. 

‘We would expect boards to fill vacancies as soon as possible.’

'The number of community nursing and midwifery staff has increased substantially under this government – by 473.1 whole-time equivalent members of staff (a 4.1% increase) in the past year alone.'

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