Warning over Scotland's 3,500 'missing' nurses

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A failure to act on nursing education is “locking today’s crisis into the next decade”, the country’s nursing union has warned.

Scotland is now missing the equivalent of an entire year’s cohort of nursing students after 3,500 fewer students started nursing degrees than the country requires, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said.

In a stark warning to the country’s political parties, the trade union said rapid action must be taken to address the falling number of people applying to study nursing.

According to its analysis, more than 3,500 fewer students have started nursing degrees over the last four years than the Scottish government said were needed, leaving a gap that equals an entire annual intake.

This “missing cohort” will be felt across hospitals, community services and care settings for years to come, the union said.

Colin Poolman, executive director of RCN Scotland, said: “Nursing is a wonderful and deeply rewarding career, offering a wealth of opportunities.

“The worrying decline in people choosing the profession makes it clear that the next Scottish government must do more to promote nursing careers and support the individuals who do decide to study nursing.

“This must include a clear pathway for career progression, safe staffing and stronger financial support for students.

“Implementation of the recommendations from the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce will be key to turning things around.

“Unless decisive action is taken, the loss of this cohort will translate into fewer nurses on wards, in communities and in vital public services across Scotland.”

The Scottish government established the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce in 2023 to improve culture, education, attraction, retention and flexible working, with 44 recommendations made and accepted last year.

Meanwhile, RCN said more than 1,000 fewer people applied to study nursing in 2025 compared to 2019.

Since 2019, the number of students accepted on to undergraduate nursing courses has fallen by 11%.

RCN warned politicians that despite long‑standing nursing workforce shortages across the NHS and social care, student recruitment has consistently fallen short of government targets.

Ahead of the Scottish Parliament election in May, RCN Scotland said a failure to act now on nurse education risks “locking today’s crisis into the next decade”.

It said almost one in five students who were due to qualify in 2024 did not complete their degree, with students citing financial hardship and poor learning experiences on placement as the main reasons for leaving.

The RCN said the value of the nursing bursary has fallen significantly in real terms, which means it fails to meet students’ basic living costs.

At the same time, those within the industry have warned staffing pressures are undermining student learning.

RCN Scotland has called on political parties to set out how they will take action in key areas of concern, including the restoration of student numbers, financial support, capacity, and the safety of patients.

Parties are also urged to set out how they will deliver the 44 recommendations from the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce to attract people into the profession.

Clare Haughey, the SNP candidate for Rutherglen who is also an NHS nurse, said: “The SNP deeply value the incredible impact that all our hardworking nurses make in Scotland’s health service every single day.

“Under the SNP, the number of nurses and midwives working in our NHS is up by over 21% and band five nurses in Scotland are the best paid anywhere in the UK.

“We established a new Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce to address recruitment and retention challenges and are fully committed to taking forward its actions to improve the profession and make nursing an attractive and rewarding career.

“The SNP’s bold plan for the NHS is working – waiting times are down, operation numbers up, and we are opening GP walk-in centres all over the country.

“We are the only party with a credible plan for our NHS and are determined to see it through – that’s what you get from an SNP government on Scotland’s side and it’s exactly what you get from John Swinney’s strong leadership.”