SNP failing to recruit medical practitioners to support sexual assault victims

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Yi-pei Chou Turvey MSP has criticised the Scottish Government’s failure to fill places on a key university course intended to serve as a pipeline of advanced forensic practitioners to work with victims of rape and sexual assault.

Queen Margaret University offer an Advanced Forensic Practice postgraduate certificate with 20 places available in each intake. The qualification supports the development of advanced forensic practitioners who, as registered nurses and midwives, and paramedics, are working in areas such as Custody and Sexual Assault Referral Centres.

The Scottish Government has consistently presented the QMU course as part of its strategy to develop nurse sexual offence examiners and improve forensic medical services for people who have experienced rape or sexual assault.

However, despite the Scottish Government announcing funding in 2020, a freedom of information request submitted by Scottish Liberal Democrats has revealed that so far only 56 students have been recruited and only 50 have completed the course.

Commenting on the figures, Yi-epi Chou Turvey said:

“Victims of sexual violence deserve timely, expert care. By failing to fill these training places, the country is left with a shortage of forensic practitioners available to deliver the specialist, compassionate care they need.

“This failure falls squarely at the feet of the SNP government. As a profession nurses have been left overworked and dependent on expensive temporary agency staff. Meanwhile, applications to core nursing courses have been falling short for years under the SNP.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would take decisive action to fill these places and rebuild this pipeline. We would work with NHS boards to guarantee that graduates have secure, permanent roles in sexual assault referral centres and custody settings and launch a targeted recruitment campaign to attract experienced paramedics, nurses, and midwives into the programme, along with bursaries to make this vital career path accessible.”