Resource and accountability issues raised over Health Staffing Bill
The general principles of legislation aimed at ensuring adequate staffing and high quality of health and social care services have been supported by Holyrood's Health & Sport Committee.
In their stage 1 report on the Scottish Government's Health and Care (Staffing) Bill, however, the MSPs have asked for more detail on how staff numbers and care quality will be assessed, monitored and reported. They have also raised concerns about a danger of resources being skewed towards the hospital sector in order to meet the initial requirements set out in the legislation.
The bill covers both health and social care services, with the aim of ensuring more integrated workload and staff planning. It does not focus on national workforce planning, but sets out principles which must be taken into account when considering staffing requirements across health boards and by those providing care services.
After hearing evidence, the committee concluded that there needs to be greater accountability with named accountable officers in all settings to make clear that it is the provider that should be responsible and not those who are delivering the care. The committee supports an approach of information being displayed on every ward showing expected and actual staffing levels.
Other recommendations in the report include:
- Professional judgment is a significant part of workforce planning decisions. Staff on the ground on any given day are best placed to input to decisions on what staffing requirements are. The committee is seeking clearer direction on who this includes, to ensure the input of those on the ground is not drowned out by competing priorities such as finance, medicines or a need for more doctors.
- Training is a crucial aspect of any process and will impact on success. The committee is keen to see adequate provision made to train staff and thereafter keep their skills up to date.
Committee convener Lewis Macdonald MSP commented: "We all share the aim of having a health and social care system that has safe staffing levels, providing high quality care. Having appropriately qualified staff in the right place at the right time is central to providing that level of care that we have come to expect.
"However, we heard a number of concerns about the proposals which we are asking the Scottish Government to address. It is essential resources are placed where they are most needed, and care needs to be taken to ensure that the legislation does not treat some areas more favourably.
"We recognise the key role allied health professionals play in the multidisciplinary teams that support high quality care across health and social care, and their omission from the legislation is something we expect the Scottish Government to reflect on."
He added: "We also want to see all parts of health and care treated in the same manner and when the Bill is extended to staffing in care settings we expect the same criteria to apply as in the NHS.”