ALMOST four out of five Scots believe there are too few nurses in their country’s NHS to provide “safe and effective” care for patients, a union survey revealed yesterday.

As the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) launched its manifesto for the Holyrood elections, a poll carried out for the union suggested that just 22 per cent of the public believe the Scottish government values and recognises nurses’ contribution.

Seventy-seven per cent of respondents said they did value nurses for their work, but 78 per cent believed that there were not enough of them.

Unveiling the manifesto, RCN Scotland executive director Colin Poolman said: “Scotland’s communities rely on nursing. It is the biggest health and care workforce in the country.

“But our health and care services have depended too heavily, and for too long, on the goodwill of nursing staff, without the recognition, support and investment they deserve.

“It is clear that the public agrees that more needs to be done to value the nursing profession and our members tell us it is becoming increasingly difficult to deliver safe, dignified care to the standard they would like.

“Scotland cannot build the sustainable nursing workforce it urgently needs by asking staff to continue to work under relentless pressure while feeling demoralised and undervalued.”

Describing nurses as “the backbone of Scotland’s NHS” and espressing gratitude for “their skill, compassion and unwavering dedication,” a Scottish government spokesperson responded: “In February 2025, we published our Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce Report, developed with the RCN as a key stakeholder.

“Together, we are now implementing its recommendations with a clear and ambitious goal: to make Scotland the very best place in the UK for nurses to work, develop and thrive.”