Cole-Hamilton responds to 800 unfilled nursing places

Responding to embargoed data from UCAS which shows that for the second year in a row the number of places to study nursing at Scotland’s universities have not been filled, with an 11% drop in acceptances onto nursing programmes, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:  

“These gaping holes in nursing courses are a real cause for concern. If courses don’t fill up, existing staff come under greater pressure and more patients suffer. The SNP are putting the future of our health service at risk.

“The complete failure by this SNP/Green government to recruit and retain staff stretches all the way back to Nicola Sturgeon cutting training places and claiming that was ‘sensible.’  

“Health Secretary Michael Matheson and his ministers must do all they can to promote nursing as a rewarding career.  

"Scottish Liberal Democrats would deliver proper implementation of the safe staffing legislation that Parliament agreed years ago, as well as introducing a strategy to tackle burnout among staff- a plan that the SNP and Greens were wrong to vote down when we previously brought it to parliament.”