Student nurse intake numbers cut

Ministers want the supply to fit in with the demand for nurses

Nearly 200 fewer student nurses are to be taken on next year, the Scottish Executive has said.

Health Minister Andy Kerr said the reduction was to avoid too many trainees qualifying for too few jobs.

The executive said 3,325 student nurses would be trained, a drop of 175 on this year's total.

The Scottish National Party called the cut a "retrograde step" which contradicted the policy of boosting the number of nurses.

Mr Kerr predicted the executive would meet its promise to bring in 12,000 new nurses and midwives to the health service by 2007.

Nursing numbers are at an all-time high in Scotland and the minister insisted he was confident in the system that calculated the number of students who should be trained to meet future vacancies.

This year we should carefully scale back the numbers of students we recruit Andy Kerr Health Minister

He said an examination of the process would be held which would involve the public services union Unison, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

Mr Kerr acknowledged that more nurses were needed but said: "This year's modelling suggests that, although the demand from employers is for a growing workforce, the rate of increase is less than in previous years.

"That means this year we should carefully scale back the numbers of students we recruit.

"I have confidence in this modelling process, but we are keen to develop it further."

The decision to cut the student nurse intake makes absolutely no sense Shona Robison MSP Scottish National Party

Jane McCready, of the RCN in Scotland, said: "We are pleased the minister has responded to our concerns over peaks and troughs in the number of student nurses being trained by agreeing to review the planning process.

"We want more to be done to get the process right and we look forward to this opportunity to improve the way it works in the future."

SNP health spokeswoman Shona Robison said: "We know that under-staffing affects morale in the workplace and puts patient care and safety at risk, not least our ability to tackle hospital-acquired infections.

"That's why the decision to cut the student nurse intake makes absolutely no sense."

'Highest nurse numbers'

Scotland has the highest number of qualified nurses and midwives per head of population in the UK, according to ministers.

There were 757 per 100,000 people in September 2003, compared to 586 in England, 664 in Wales and 742 in Northern Ireland.

But the RCN warned in September that a shortage of nurses in Scotland was affecting patient safety.

Figures from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) showed that the number of recruits fell last year, in contrast with an increase in England and Wales.