Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government values the contribution of the NHS Scotland workforce and is committed to supporting those who choose to pursue a career in nursing. We want to help more people who are trained in Scotland to work in NHS Scotland upon graduation. To do this, we have committed to an NHS Job Guarantee for all graduates for medicine, dentistry, nursing, and other NHS professions in Scotland with a guaranteed position for a minimum 3-year contract, so they can put their training into practice.

Further detail on the proposed job guarantee will be set out in further detail in due course.

We want to help more people who are educated and trained in Scotland to work in NHS Scotland upon graduation. To do this, we have committed to an NHS Job Guarantee to all graduates for medicine, dentistry, nursing, and other NHS professions in Scotland with a guaranteed position for a minimum 3-year contract, to enable them to put their training into practice. The Scottish Government will set out further detail on the proposed job guarantee in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01456 on 20 July 2026. 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.

Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters such as staffing and recruitment, including the recruitment of graduates, are the responsibility of the individual health and social care employers, taking into account national, regional and local priorities.

NHS Boards actively manage their turnover and vacancies throughout the year, to ensure all posts recruited meet current and future demands and will deliver the best outcomes in the most effective and efficient way. NHS Scotland is a large organisation and will always carry some vacancies. While it is hoped that all nursing graduates will secure a post in Scotland upon graduation, this is not always immediately possible, as vacancies can fluctuate significantly from year to year due to a range of factors.

We have also committed to an NHS Job Guarantee for all graduates for medicine, dentistry, nursing, and other NHS professions in Scotland with a guaranteed position for a minimum 3-year contract, so they can put their training into practice.

Student intake targets for nursing and midwifery controlled funded places are set for three years to provide stability across partners, including higher education institutions. The most recent multi-year target has been set for 2026-27 to 2028-29, with an annual review to ensure targets remain appropriate.

There is extensive engagement with stakeholders (who are invited to share their own data) when setting the three year targets, as well as discussing their insights on NHS Scotland vacancies, establishment figures and clinical placement capacity. Both quantitative and qualitative data are considered as part of this process. Stakeholders include NHS Boards, Higher Education Institutes, Royal Colleges and Trade Unions.

Alongside this planning, the Scottish Government works with the Student Award Agency Scotland (SAAS) to ensure appropriate funding is available for the corresponding number of students, including for the bursary and any relevant allowances.

The Scottish Government is firmly committed to ensuring that Scotland has the right nursing workforce, in the right place, with the right skills and competencies to support current and future service reform and sustainability.

The Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce sets out a number of recommended actions which are being progressed at pace to expand pathways into the nursing profession, have a meaningful and lasting impact on workforce wellbeing, improve retention, reduce stress and burnout, create a more positive and resilient workforce and ensure nursing remains an attractive career. The Taskforce has recognised the need to develop the career structure in Scotland and enhance the journey through pre-registration to post-registration, to advanced practice and onto leadership. Newly qualified nurses are not specifically mentioned in the recommended actions, however there are many recommended actions that address wellbeing and enhance professional support that would benefit newly qualified nurses.

The Scottish Government values the contribution of the NHS Scotland workforce and is committed to supporting those who choose to pursue a career in nursing. Scottish Ministers have overseen 14 consecutive years of growth in the NHS Scotland workforce, invested in improving the terms and conditions of NHS Scotland staff and continue to deliver activity flowing from both the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce and the Future Medical Workforce Project to support these professions. The Scottish Government is committed to building on this progress and will set out further detail on the proposed job guarantee in due course.

The average cost to train a nursing student in Scotland is approximately £60k over the typical three year course. This includes bursary, tuition fees and teaching grant. Placement costs vary per student and are not included. The Scottish Government has committed to uprating the bursary available for nursing and midwifery students.

Operational matters such as staffing and recruitment, including the recruitment of graduates, are the responsibility of the individual health and social care employers.

The Scottish Government does not hold information relating to students who have not completed pre-registration nursing programmes in each of the last three years. This data may be available via individual institutions. Students do not complete courses for a variety of reasons. However, the Scottish Government recognises the financial challenges faced by all students, including nursing and midwifery students, and understands that this has been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis. This is why we have committed to uprating the student nursing and midwifery bursary.

The 2026-27 Budget provides almost £22.5 billion investment in health and social care services, exceeding consequentials and providing a real terms uplift to enable more sustainable and resilient services, including those for interventional radiology. Delivery of individual services is the responsibility of each NHS Scotland Health Board. The Scottish Government expects NHS Boards to provide high quality care, including interventional radiology services that are safe, effective and person-centred.