Nearly a fifth of nurses and midwives in Scotland’s NHS will retire over the next decade, analysis of new figures has revealed.
There are currently more than 12,000 nurses and midwives aged 55 or over working in hospitals across the country, compared to 9500 in 2011. It means 17.8 per cent of the workforce will be planning to retire over the next 10 years, a statistic that was only 14.3 per cent five years ago.
The ISD Scotland data has emerged at a time when the health service already faces a crisis in recruiting enough nurses.
Tens of millions are spent each year on bank on agency nurses to cover gaps, while sick leave is well above the target in every one of Scotland’s health boards. In some areas, such as the Highlands, the proportion of nurses aged 55 and over is more than 21 per cent.
Scottish Conservative MSP for West Scotland, Jamie Greene, said:
“While the contribution made by older nurses and midwives has to be recognised, the Scottish Government must start planning for their departure.”
His concerns were echoed this week by the Royal College of Midwives in Scotland, which said, “if action wasn’t taken now, there could be safety issues in future.”
Mr Greene continued:
“These figures show Scotland's NHS is moving closer to a retirement boom every year. We're now in a situation where almost a fifth of nurses and midwives will either be planning their retirement, or at least contemplating it over coming years. We can't afford to be caught cold by this.
“On the government’s record of handling this pending potential crisis he commented, “The SNP didn't plan properly for an ageing population, so it must learn those lessons and make plans for an ageing workforce. More nurses need to be trained and the Scottish Government has to come up with more imaginative ideas for recruitment. Put simply, If this is addressed now, we can ensure wards are properly staffed in the years and decades to come.”
