Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce Overview
Working together to strengthen, support and empower Scotland’s nursing and midwifery workforce.
Learn more about the Ministerial Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce (NMT), including why it was established, the vision driving its work, and the progress being made to strengthen Scotland's nursing and midwifery workforce.
Explore the 10 outcomes shaping improvement, the insights gathered through the Listening Project, and the governance and themed subgroups supporting delivery of the Taskforce's recommended actions.
Bringing together the voices of staff, students, educators and partners from across Scotland to help create positive, sustainable change for the nursing and midwifery professions.
On this page, explore:
Have a question or feedback?
If you have any questions about the information provided, or feedback on this website, please contact the Nursing and Midwifery Policy Team at the Scottish Government NMTenquiries@gov.scot.
Overview
In February 2023, the Scottish Government established a Ministerial Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce (NMT). The Taskforce originated following requests from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Royal College of Midwives (RCM) as part of the 2023 pay negotiations to address challenges with attracting and retaining nurses and midwives in Scotland. It was agreed that the way forward was to bring stakeholders and experts together to work collaboratively to develop and deliver the required change.
This report sets out the final Recommended Actions of the Ministerial Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce Phase One, created to help make Scotland the best place for nurses and midwives to work, shaped by nationwide staff feedback. All actions have been accepted by the Scottish Government, who will now work with partners across health and social care to deliver meaningful, long‑lasting improvements.
📲 Read the full report: NMT Phase One: Delivering Together for a Stronger Nursing and Midwifery Workforce – Report and Recommended Actions.
Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce Outcomes
The Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce identified 10 outcomes that together describe the changes needed to make Scotland the best place for nurses and midwives to work, learn and thrive. These outcomes reflect what nursing and midwifery staff said matters most to them, from wellbeing and work-life balance to career development, leadership, safe staffing and attracting future professionals to the workforce. They provide a shared vision for improvement and help guide national and local action to create positive, sustainable change across health and social care services
Explore the outcomes below to learn how they support a stronger, more sustainable nursing and midwifery workforce for Scotland's future.
| Outcome | Description |
|---|---|
| Outcome 1 | Employers have ensured that the conditions are in place for staff to maintain their own wellbeing by creating a working environment that adequately balances the needs of staff with the needs of the people they care for |
| Outcome 2 | Staff are enabled to have a work-life balance and a working pattern that promotes their wellbeing |
| Outcome 3 | Staff are supported to develop their skills and knowledge to support their career progress and choice |
| Outcome 4 | Nursing and midwifery staff are supported and encouraged to be involved in technological innovation to ensure that nursing and midwifery priorities are considered in the conception, design and implementation |
| Outcome 5 | Staff are engaged in the setting of staffing levels and skill mix that will reflect international evidence to enable the consistent delivery of high-quality person-centred care in an environment that promotes the wellbeing of staff |
| Outcome 6 | Employers are taking active steps to reduce the frequency of staff moves and where those take place, they are carried out ensuring staff are suitably supported to work within their knowledge, skills and experience and minimise impact on patient safety |
| Outcome 7 | Employers will respond to feedback from staff and manage difficult situations that staff encounter during the course of their work through formal and informal mechanisms |
| Outcome 8 | Employers have structures in place that support shared decision making and encourage staff to participate in collaborative approaches to local and national decision making |
| Outcome 9 | Employers will ensure that staff are encouraged by supportive leaders who have undertaken training and understand the qualities required for the role |
| Outcome 10 | Nursing and midwifery careers are attractive, flexible and accessible for new entrants and existing staff |
The Taskforce included representatives from: NHS Scotland, Social Care, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), professional organisations, trade unions, RCN, RCM, Unison and Unite, third sector, academic workforce experts, Higher Education Institutions, Council of Deans for Health Scotland, NHS Education for Scotland, Scottish Government.
The Listening Project
The Listening Project was established to ensure that the Taskforce’s Recommended Actions were informed by the views of both current and future nursing and midwifery workforce. Through a series of engagement activities, the project sought to identify issues affecting the daily work and wellbeing of nurses and midwives, students and academics, and to gather their ideas on how these challenges could be addressed. The project ran from August 2023 to June 2024 and was delivered across three phases.
➡️ Read the Listening Project Report including the key findings from the national survey delivered, insights from the staff and student focus groups, and wider system analysis.
Governance
The NMT Ministerial Oversight Group was established to provide strategic oversight and scrutiny throughout the implementation of all 44 Recommended Actions. The Ministerial Oversight Group is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care. Membership of the Ministerial Oversight Group spans nursing and midwifery professionals across health and social care in Scotland, including the NHS, education, staff side and the independent sector.
Subgroups
To support the implementation of the Recommended Actions, the four Subgroups from Phase One were re-established. The Subgroups have wide-ranging memberships that represent a broad range of stakeholders and provide expert advice on action to implement the Recommended Actions.
The Subroups have membership from the below organisations.
Area Nursing and Midwifery Committees
Higher Education Institutes
Explore the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce Website
