Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to action 44 of the Ministerial Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce report, Delivering Together for a Stronger Nursing and Midwifery Workforce, whether it will provide an update on progress made towards identifying the barriers and enablers to attracting candidates to nursing and midwifery.
As set out in the answer to question S6W-38860 on 1 July 2025, the Scottish Government recognises that widening access into nursing and midwifery programmes is important to grow the number of nurses and midwives in our health and social care workforce. That is why we value the important role colleges play in widening access for students into higher education and into health professions.
The Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce set out a number of recommended actions which are being progressed at pace to develop alternative entry routes and consider the barriers and enablers to attracting students to nursing and midwifery professions. This includes, work on improving the existing Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Healthcare Practice for Nursing and the development of a HNC for Maternity which will more consistently support entry into Year 1 of Nursing and Midwifery degree programmes, and direct articulation into Year 2 Nursing degree programmes. This will be progressed in collaboration with identified higher education institutions.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.