This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Student nurse intake
20/12/2005
The student nurse intake for 2006/07 will be 3,325, down from 3,500 the previous year, it was announced today.
Health Minister Andy Kerr said that while the Executive was on track to pass its target of 12,000 new nurses and midwives by 2007, planning also had to be mature enough to avoid producing more nurses than employers say they need.
He continued:
"The NHS needs more nurses. That much is certain. That's why although nurse numbers are at an all-time high, we are also going to bring more than 12,000 new nurses and midwives into the NHS in Scotland by 2007.
"To do that, we have to carefully plan how may students we need. Our investment has produced 9,200 students, more than ever before.
"But at the same time, nobody wants to see so many nursing students coming out of training that they have difficulty finding posts. That is why we have a logical long term planning process to match supply and demand.
"This year's modelling suggests that although the demand from employers is for a growing workforce, the rate of increase is less than in previous years.
"That means this year we should carefully scale back the numbers of students we recruit. I have confidence in this modelling process, but we are keen to develop it further, and will be inviting those involved in the process, including Unison, and the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal Colleges of Midwives and Nursing, Unison, in a review of the current process."
The Minister went on to highlight the importance, not just of recruiting students, but in making training and careers more rewarding.
He said:
"As well as bringing students into the service, the NHS is looking at a variety of ways to retain those who are already in employment and providing valuable care for patients.
"Right from their first posting, nurses should get a better deal, from support and development programmes for newly qualified nurses, to new career opportunities, through to offering flexible packages so that nurses can scale back their hours as retirement approaches.
"Our long-term plan 'Delivering for Health' aims to provide better services for patients and in addition offers real opportunities for nurses to expand and develop their role.
Student Nurse Intake Planning (SNIP) is a long-established process which provides a workforce planning methodology for setting student nursing and midwifery intakes on an annual basis.
SNIP modelling has taken on board the demand for more staff from employers as well as taking into consideration a range of supply issues, eg age profile, attrition rates as well as the increased numbers in training that will hit the job market in Scotland over the next five years.
The process models data and intelligence gathered each year on supply and demand for newly qualified nurses and midwives. It takes a bottom up approach, using intelligence gathered from Boards and others, and results in recommended intake figures, which are discussed and agreed with a range of healthcare partners including the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives and Unison.
In UK terms, Scotland has the most qualified nurses and midwives per head of population. The rate of qualified nurses and midwives per 100,000 population as at September 2003 was 756.6 (Whole Time Equivalent) compared to 585.5 in England, 664.2 in Wales, and 742.0 in N. Ireland.