The Scottish Government

The Directorate is headed by Ingrid Clayden, who is interim Director for Health Workforce. The Health Workforce Directorate is structured into three divisions:

• Workforce Planning and Development Division
• Workforce Employments and Retention Division
• Workforce Projects and Consultancy

Our Goal

A world class workforce for NHSScotland, so that the health, quality of life and wellbeing of people in Scotland are improving continuously.

Objectives

• With colleagues, to ensure that the NHS has the right people in the right place at the right time to deliver services for patients.
• To provide effective strategic liaison and sponsorship of NHS Education for Scotland, and liaison with Skills for Health, to ensure that the workforce of the NHS has the right skills mix for high quality, patient centred care, through access to appropriate training and development.
• To support and develop workforce planning capacity in NHS Scotland, ensuring that Boards effectively plan their workforce, with partner agencies as appropriate, to meet changing healthcare service needs and Government targets, and that planned developments are fully costed and sustainable.
• To contribute to patient safety and quality of care through mechanisms that address performance concerns about health professionals.
• By implementing better employment practice by working in partnership with all key stakeholders, we will retain a workforce that is keen and proud to work for NHSScotland.
• We will promote Efficient Government by increasing productivity, reducing sickness absence and provide a better service to patients through our Working Well policy.
• To ensure that NHS staff in Scotland are appropriately rewarded for their work through recognising benefits realised and the effective maintenance, implementation and monitoring of current contracts and by building relationships with trades unions and other key stakeholders.
• Provide strategic direction and quality assurance for the development of leadership talent in NHSScotland.