Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many additional staff have been recruited to NHS 24 for winter 2025-26, and how it determined (a) the number required and (b) their geographical placement.
NHS 24 current staffing levels are at their highest to date, enabling the strongest level of treatment capacity on record. So far this year, NHS 24 has successfully recruited 71 Call Handlers and 51 Clinical Supervisors.
Required workforce is based on detailed call forecasting and demand modelling, using historical winter data and current trends to predict patient demand, call durations, and staffing requirements. These inputs feed into an algorithm to calculate staffing levels required to meet service standards.
Geographical placement is not a primary consideration, as NHS 24’s national telephony system routes calls in real time to available staff across Scotland.