Question reference: S6W-05377
- Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 21 December 2021
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 December 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are to publish the National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care.
Answer
Significant work has already taken place to develop a National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social care, in partnership with CoSLA.
Pursuant to extensive consultation with stakeholders from across the health and social care landscape, the Strategy will outline our shared vision for the workforce, which supports a tripartite ambition of recovery, growth and transformation. It will also set out the actions we are taking in partnership with the workforce, to achieve that vision.
Unfortunately, the rapid emergence of the Omicron variant including the potential challenges this presents for maintenance of our Health and Social care services as we move through Winter, means that this is rightly our immediate focus. We will do all we can to ensure staff are protected and are rapidly increasing the rollout of our vaccinations programme to protect the public.
In light of these developments, the Strategy will now be published in early 2022 to allow us to focus our efforts on the essential business of responding to Covid-19, It is essential we do all we can to promote staff wellbeing, and we will reflect on this next phase of the pandemic as we move forward with publication of the Strategy as soon as is practicable.