Scotland’s Nurses Question The Priority Given To Nursing In Election

As nurses across Scotland take part in election hustings to meet their candidates for the forthcoming Scottish Parliament elections, new research shows that they are not convinced that nursing will be a priority for political parties.

A RCN survey published this week to coincide with a RCN hustings in Aberdeen found that only 1 in 4 nurses think nursing is a priority for Scotland’s politicians.  Despite this, the vast majority (82%) said that they do intend to vote in May’s election.  

RCN Scotland Board Chair, Jane McCready, said: ‘Politicians should take note.  With over 65,000 nurses in Scotland, that’s a lot of the potential voters out there who are still waiting to be persuaded that political parties can get it right for Scotland’s nurses and the communities they serve.’

‘There has been progress on a number of issues since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament, most significantly the decision to ban smoking in enclosed public places.  However, RCN members will make it clear to our aspiring politicians that there is much more that needs to be done.’

‘Understaffing and high workloads are still a major concern of nurses. There is significant international evidence which shows that having the right numbers of nurses in wards and communities not only helps to recruit, retain and motivate staff, but also improve care and clinical outcomes for patients.  Unfortunately we still find that staffing levels are a product of historical patterns rather than the needs of the patients.

‘That must stop. That is why we are calling for NHS boards to have a duty to ensure they implement systems that guarantee safe and appropriate staffing levels. It is the least our patients and communities deserve.’