SCOTLAND lacks an entire year’s cohort of nursing students, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warned today.

Far fewer students are starting nursing degrees than the number the government says are needed.

The “missing cohort” has risen to more than 3,500 over the past four years — an entire annual intake, said the union.

RCN Scotland warned that a failure to act now on nurse education risks “locking today’s crisis into the next decade.”

Ahead of next month’s Scottish Parliament election, RCN Scotland executive director Colin Poolman said: “The worrying decline in people choosing the profession makes it clear that the next Scottish government must do more to promote nursing careers and support the individuals who do decide to study nursing.

“This must include a clear pathway for career progression, safe staffing and stronger financial support for students.

“Implementation of the recommendations from the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce will be key to turning things around.

“Unless decisive action is taken, the loss of this cohort will translate into fewer nurses on wards, in communities and in vital public services across Scotland.”

The union said that since 2019, the number of students accepted on to undergraduate nursing courses has fallen by 11 per cent.

More than 1,000 fewer people also applied to study nursing in 2025 compared to 2019.

It added that almost one in five students who were due to qualify in 2024 did not complete their degree, with students citing financial hardship and poor learning experiences on placement as the main reasons for leaving.