Scottish nurses told 'find work in England' due to NHS Scotland post shortage

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Newly-qualified paediatric nurses from Caledonian University in Glasgow have reportedly been told there are no available jobs within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

 

Scottish nursing students being forced to look elsewhere for placements is “a failure in workforce planning”, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said.

 

Newly-qualified paediatric nurses from Caledonian University in Glasgow have reportedly been told there are no available jobs within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC). Out of all of the newly-qualified nurses, not just paediatric, less than half have found jobs within Glasgow, according to the Daily Record.

 

Some Glaswegian nursing graduates have reportedly been told to look for work in England.

 

Eileen McKenna, associate director of nursing policy at RCN Scotland, said: “The reports that newly qualified nurses are struggling to find work are extremely worrying. Given the scale of the staff shortages that are being reported on a daily basis across Scotland’s NHS services, this is not what those studying nursing or those receiving care would expect.

 

“The situation shows a failure in workforce planning and in recognising the investment all parties make in supporting someone to gain a degree in nursing. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have treated this group of newly qualified nurses appallingly and need to look again at their processes and communication.

 

“The Scottish Government and NHS boards must ensure this situation is rectified. We will be seeking assurance from them that action is being taken and would encourage newly qualified and student nurses to share their experiences and concerns with us.”

 

A NHSGGC spokesperson said: “Every year we carry out a rigorous recruitment process to ensure we have the best qualified staff. As a result, this year we have made more than 700 offers of employment to nurses across the board’s services.

 

“We understand that some applicants will be disappointed by the outcome of this process, but we continue to review vacancies throughout the year and promote opportunities as they arise.”

 

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Recruitment is a matter for health boards who will take into account turnover, retention, absence rates and budgets when making recruitment decisions. This can mean that vacancies fluctuate across NHS Scotland boards and by specialism.

 

“We implemented the Health and Care Staffing Act in April 2024, with duties in place for health boards to assess compliance, including their duty to provide appropriate safe staffing.”

 

A spokesperson for Caledonian University said: “Where a graduate cannot find employment with a local health board, we support them to take advantage of wider career opportunities, with personal tutors readily available to provide any advice and assistance they may need.

 

“From the outset, all of our nursing students are informed that there is no guarantee of employment with their preferred health board area after graduation, as vacancies can fluctuate significantly each year.

 

“According to the most recent data from the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey for the 2021/22 graduating cohort, which surveys graduates approximately 15 months after completing their studies, the outcomes for our BSc and BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies programmes show 92 per cent of graduates were employed 15 months after finishing their course.

 

“Additionally, 95 per cent of graduates who provided their job titles reported working as nurses, and 90 per cent of those who provided employer details indicated they were employed within the NHS.”

 

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