New health and care staffing legislation comes into effect in Scotland

New legislation to support better health and care workforce planning and delivery of frontline services comes into effect from today (Monday). The Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act aims to ensure appropriate staffing levels are in place across all health and care settings. It is the first such multidisciplinary health staffing legislation to be enacted in the UK.

Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care Neil Gray said:

“Today is a significant day for health and social care in Scotland. This new Act, which forms a key part of our efforts to reform and recover health and care, will ensure services are more effective, efficient and sustainable. It will help put in place systems and processes to allow real-time assessments of staffing levels, meaning resources can be managed more easily, and that people can get the right care, at the right time, in the right place. The Act will also help to embed a culture of openness so workers are informed about decisions relating to staffing and feel able to raise any concerns.

“There was extensive consultation with trade unions, employers, staff and other key partners during the passage of this legislation. I would like to thank everyone who took part and contributed to this process.”

Background

The Health and Care Staffing (Scotland) Act.