Nursing and midwifery vacancies in NHS reach new record high

There has also been increases in the number of consultants jobs that are vacant, as well as for allied health professionals.

Nursing and midwifery vacancies have reached a record high (Jane Barlow/PA)

Nursing and midwifery vacancies in Scotland’s NHS have soared to a record high, with almost 6,700 posts unfilled at the end of last year.

The number of vacancies increased by more than 900 in the last three months of 2021 alone, with official figures showing a 169% increase in empty positions over the year.

As of December 31 last year there were 6,674.4 whole time equivalent (WTE) positions in nursing and midwifery that were vacant, official data showed.

This is up from 5,761.2 WTE posts at the end of September 2021 and higher than the 2,475.8 WTE vacancies recorded on December 31 2020.

The figures for December 2020 noted that “reduced data on vacancies” was reported at this time because of the “additional demands” this placed on NHS staff, who were also dealing with the Covid pandemic.

The new figures also showed vacancies for allied health professionals – such as physiotherapists, radiographers and occupational therapists – had reached a new record high.

These increased to 1,197.6 WTE places by the end of December 2021 – up from 1,034.8 WTE positions at the end of September last year and more than double the 546.5 WTE vacancies recorded in December 2020.

The same data also showed a rise of almost 40% in consultant jobs that were unfilled over the year.

At the end of last year 493.6 WTE consultant positions were vacant – a rise from 440.1 WTE posts at the end of September 2021, and up from the 354.3 WTE jobs that were empty on December 31 2020.

The rise in vacancies comes despite the NHS workforce increasing to a new record level.

NHS Scotland figures showed at the end of December 2021 there were 180,653 people working in the NHS – with this amounting to 155,834.1 WTE positions.

Overall staff numbers were 4.8% higher than at the end of December 2020, and up by 18.7% over the decade.

The number of nursing and midwifery staff increased by 4.2% over the last year to stand at 64,989.5 WTE at the end of December 2021.

Meanwhile, there were 5,773.6 WTE consultants employed, with this 3% higher than in December 2020.

The figures also showed 12,738 WTE allied heath professionals in post at the end of December 2021, up by 4.1% over the year.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf stressed NHS staffing in Scotland was at record levels. (Peter Summers/PA)

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Under this Government, staffing in Scotland’s NHS has risen to record highs and our long-term investment in this workforce has accelerated since the outset of the pandemic.”

He added: “I would like to pay tribute to the dedication and commitment of our frontline healthcare staff for the vital role they have played in keeping us all safe throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Work is ongoing to further enhance NHS workforce levels and support health boards to fill posts as our investment in NHS staffing continues to create significant numbers of new roles in the system.

“Our record £300 million of new investment helped services deal with system pressures over winter and the £1 billion NHS Recovery Plan introduced a range of direct workforce investments. This has included new measures to support boards’ capacity for both domestic and international recruitment.

“Scotland has the best-paid NHS staff in the UK and we have made £12 million available in the last year to support the wellbeing of the workforce.”