Significant investment in nurse training – £6.9m as part of primary care workforce plan.
Graeme Dey MSP for Angus South constituency, has praised news that almost £7 million will be invested in training to improved nursing care provided closer to home.
The funding will ensure the existing nurse workforce have the skills to even better meet the needs of people requiring care in their own homes, GP practices or in other community settings.
The new Primary Care Workforce Plan sets out commitments to significantly expand and strengthen primary care across Scotland and prepare against the challenges of Brexit in NHS Scotland.
Following the introduction of the new GP contract, the plan emphasises the importance of highly skilled multi-disciplinary teams to ensure all patients continue to receive high quality care.
It also outlines plans to support the recruitment of an additional 800 GPs over the next ten years, plus an annual investment of £35 million by 2022 for an extra 800 mental health workers in key locations such as A&E departments, GP practices, police stations and prisons.
Commenting, Mr Dey said:
“This significant investment in nurse training will mean that more patients in Angus South are treated within their own communities.
“Scottish Government are setting a marker for the rest of the UK with regards to workforce planning and I am proud that we will be the first to publish a plan that not only puts community care at its heart, but also helps prepare us for the expected challenges Brexit may bring for our workforce.
“The Scottish Government understand that a strong and professional workforce is at the centre of the success of Scotland’s health and social system.
“I look forward to seeing the benefits of this serious investment in our local communities here in Angus South.”
Background:
The report is available on the Scottish Government website.
