The mass-exodus of NHS nursing staff
A record-breaking number of Scottish nursing staff moved abroad last year in seek of better pay.
New data released by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) showed that 583 nurses and midwives have sought approval to work abroad in the past 12 months.
This is a 62% increase from the previous year and double the 2018 to 2019 rate.
Australia is the most popular destination with 359 nursing staff looking to make the move down-under, closely followed by New Zealand and America.
Adult nurse, Ciara Hough (25), is originally from Ireland but has been working for NHS Tayside for the past two years.
She is in the process of applying to start work in Australia next year.
She said: “The biggest thing for me is definitely the work-life balance over there.
“I have a few friends over already and as far as I know, you don’t get 12 hour shifts in Australia as you do here, the UK or in Ireland and the patient load is far less.
“Nurses are paid a good bit better over there too but it’s mostly down to the work-life balance for me.”
Miss Hough has recently moved from NHS work to private agency staffing.
She said this was also down mostly to working conditions rather than pay.
She added: “A lot of my shifts were 12 hours long.
“We’d go from day shifts to nights without proper rest in between.
“I hardly ever had my days off together and if I did want specific days off, I’d need to book them about three months in advance.
“Before I made the move to agency, I was at the point of burn-out and constantly miserable.”
In February of this year, the Scottish Government agreed to increase nursing staff wages by an average 6.5%.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Our workforce in NHS Scotland is its most important and highly valued asset.
“The £568 million deal included a commitment to deliver the most progressive package of terms and conditions reform in decades and support for workforce recruitment, sustainability and retention.
“This means over two years nurses have received up to a 15.8 per cent pay rise – the best in the UK.”
However, campaign group, Scotland in Union, who obtained the nurse relocation data through a freedom of information request said the Scottish Government is to blame for the mass-exodus.
Pamela Nash, chief executive of the organisation added: “This is the result of 16 years of mismanagement from the SNP and the decisions that its politicians have made.
“Perhaps if there had been more focus on supporting our public services instead of obsessing over breaking up Britain then our nurses would not be leaving in droves.
“The SNP/Green Government is in sole charge of the NHS, and has to take responsibility for this situation.
“It must set out how it plans to replace these valuable members of staff and tackle the workforce crisis that has put too much pressure on our amazing nurses, and how it intends to make Scotland’s NHS a more attractive place to work so fewer people see their future elsewhere.”
