9. To ask the Scottish Government what impact the introduction of the mandatory workforce and workload planning tool for nursing has had on the number of nurses in NHS Fife. (S4O-03709)

NHS Fife recently completed its first ever review of the general adult in-patient nursing workforce across all seven national health service sites using the nursing and midwifery workload and workforce planning tools. The review also considered NHS Fife’s existing nurses’ own professional judgment and local quality outcomes. As a result of the review, NHS Fife will be increasing its workforce by more than 100 registered nurses and I understand that recruitment is under way to fill those new posts.

What reassurances can the Cabinet secretary give that the front-line NHS budget will continue to be protected to ensure that the improvements that are being made by NHS Fife can continue to be delivered?

Protecting front-line health services is an absolute priority for this Government. We will protect them by increasing the NHS front-line budget despite cuts in the overall budget from Westminster. Scotland’s health service will receive in full the Barnett consequentials from increases in health spending down south. In 2015-16, territorial boards will receive allocation increases of 2.7 per cent, which is above forecast inflation, reflecting the importance that we attach to protecting our front-line health services.