- Y Diweddaraf sydd Ar Gael (Diwygiedig)
- Gwreiddiol (a wnaed Fel)
The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Regulations 2024
You are here:
- Offerynnau Statudol yr Alban
- 2024 No. 43
- Whole Instrument
- Blaenorol
- Nesaf
Pa Fersiwn
Nodweddion Uwch
- Dangos Graddfa Ddaearyddol(e.e. Lloegr, Cymru, Yr Alban aca Gogledd Iwerddon)
- Dangos Llinell Amser Newidiadau
Rhagor o Adnoddau
Changes over time for: The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Regulations 2024
Alternative versions:
Changes to legislation:
There are currently no known outstanding effects for The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Regulations 2024.
Changes to Legislation
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. At the current time any known changes or effects made by subsequent legislation have been applied to the text of the legislation you are viewing by the editorial team. Please see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for details regarding the timescales for which new effects are identified and recorded on this site.
Scottish Statutory Instruments
2024 No. 43
National Health Service
The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Regulations 2024
Made
7th February 2024
Laid before the Scottish Parliament
9th February 2024
Coming into force
1st April 2024
The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 12IJ(1) and (3) and 105(7) of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978(1), and all other powers enabling them to do so.
Citation, commencement and interpretationS
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 and come into force on 1 April 2024.
(2) In these Regulations, “the 1978 Act” means the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.
Frequency of use of common staffing methodS
2. For the purposes of section 12IJ(1) of the 1978 Act, the frequency at which the common staffing method must be used, is no less often than once in each financial year.
Staffing level toolsS
3. For the purposes of section 12IJ(3)(a) of the 1978 Act, the staffing level tool for each kind of health care provision described in the first column of the table in the schedule, is listed in the corresponding entry in the second column of the table.
Professional judgement toolS
4. For the purposes of section 12IJ(3)(b) of the 1978 Act, the professional judgement tool for each kind of health care provision described in the first column of the table in the schedule, is the Professional Judgement Tool [F1Version 4].
Textual Amendments
F1Words in reg. 4 substituted (30.10.2025) by The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2025 (S.S.I. 2025/244), regs. 1, 2(2)
Commencement Information
MICHAEL MATHESON
A member of the Scottish Government
St Andrew’s House,
Edinburgh
7th February 2024
Regulations 3 and 4
SCHEDULESSTAFFING LEVEL TOOLS
Column 1 Kind of health care provision | Column 2 Staffing level tool |
|---|---|
| Adult inpatient provision by registered nurses in hospital wards with 17 occupied beds or more on average | Adult Inpatient Staffing Level Tool [F2Version 4] |
| Clinical nurse specialist provision (for adults) by registered nurses who work as clinical nurse specialists in hospitals or in community settings | Clinical Nurse Specialist Staffing Level Tool [F3Version 3] |
| Clinical nurse specialist provision (for children) by registered nurses who work as clinical nurse specialists in hospitals or in community settings | Community Children’s and Children’s Specialist Nurse Staffing Level Tool [F3Version 3] |
| Community nursing provision by registered nurses | Community Nurse Staffing Level Tool [F3Version 3] |
| Community children’s nursing provision by registered nurses | Community Children’s and Children’s Specialist Nurse Staffing Level Tool [F3Version 3] |
| Emergency care provision by registered nurses or by medical practitioners in emergency departments in hospitals | Emergency Care Provision Staffing Level Tool [F2Version 4] |
| Maternity provision by registered midwives in hospitals or in community settings | [F4Maternity Staffing Level Tool Version 3] |
| Mental health and learning disability provision by registered nurses in mental health or learning disability units in hospitals | [F5Mental Health and Learning Disability Inpatient Nurse Staffing Level Tool Version 1] |
| Neonatal provision by registered midwives or by registered nurses in neonatal units in hospitals | Neonatal Staffing Level Tool [F3Version 3] |
| Paediatric inpatient provision by registered nurses in paediatric wards in hospitals | [F6SCAMPS - Scottish Children’s Acuity Measurement in Paediatric Settings Version 3] |
| Small ward provision by registered nurses in hospital wards with 16 occupied beds or fewer on average | Small Wards Staffing Level Tool [F3Version 3] |
Textual Amendments
F2Words in sch. substituted (1.4.2025) by The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 (S.S.I. 2025/43), regs. 1, 2(3)(a)
F3Words in sch. substituted (1.4.2025) by The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 (S.S.I. 2025/43), regs. 1, 2(3)(d)
F4Words in sch. substituted (1.4.2025) by The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 (S.S.I. 2025/43), regs. 1, 2(3)(b)
F5Words in sch. table substituted (30.10.2025) by The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2025 (S.S.I. 2025/244), regs. 1, 2(3)
F6Words in sch. substituted (1.4.2025) by The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 (S.S.I. 2025/43), regs. 1, 2(3)(c)
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations make provision in relation to the common staffing method, introduced into the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (“1978 Act”) by section 4 of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 (“2019 Act”).
Section 12IJ of the 1978 Act sets out a duty for geographical Health Boards and the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service (“Agency”) to follow a common methodology when determining staffing provision for the types of health care mentioned in section 12IK of the 1978 Act. That duty will extend to certain Special Health Boards by virtue of section 5 of the 2019 Act. Section 12IJ(2) provides information on what constitutes the common staffing method, including the steps which are to be followed. The method includes, among other things, the use of a “staffing level tool” and “professional judgement tool” in determining the appropriate staffing levels for particular kinds of health care provision. Those tools are designed to provide quantitative information in order to assist in determining the appropriate staffing level based on patient needs. “Staffing level tool” and “professional judgement tool” are defined in section 12IJ(3) of the 1978 Act.
Regulation 2 of these Regulations specifies, for the purposes of section 12IJ(1) of the 1978 Act, that the frequency at which a Health Board or the Agency must use the common staffing method in relation to health care of a type mentioned in section 12IK of the 1978 Act, is no less often than once in each financial year.
Regulation 3 and the schedule prescribe, for the purposes of section 12IJ(3)(a) of the 1978 Act, the staffing level tool to be used in determining the appropriate staffing levels for each of the kinds of health care provision listed in column 1 of the table in the schedule. Each staffing level tool can be opened and used by those who have been granted access (“registered users”) via an IT platform currently hosted by the Scottish Standard Time System (“SSTS”)- a system used within the NHS. Registered users can access the IT platform at https://workforce.mhs.scot.nhs.uk/eyou/Authentication/Login.aspx.
Regulation 4 prescribes, for the purposes of section 12IJ(3)(b) of the 1978 Act, the professional judgement tool to be used in determining the appropriate staffing levels for each of the kinds of health care provision listed in column 1 of the table in the schedule. As for the staffing level tools, the professional judgement tool can be accessed by registered users via the IT platform currently hosted by the SSTS at https://workforce.mhs.scot.nhs.uk/eyou/Authentication/Login.aspx.
(1)
1978 c. 29. Section 12IJ was inserted by section 4(1) and (2) of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 (asp 6) and section 105(7) was amended by the Health Services Act 1980 (c. 53), schedule 6, paragraph 5(1) and schedule 7, the Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983 (c. 41), section 29(1) and schedule 9, Part 1, paragraph 24 and the Health Act 1999 (c. 8), schedule 4, paragraph 60. Section 108(1) contains definitions of “regulations” and “prescribed” which are each relevant to the exercise of the statutory powers under which these Regulations are made. The functions of the Secretary of State were transferred to the Scottish Ministers by virtue of section 53 of the Scotland Act 1998 (c. 46).
Options/Cymorth
Print Options
PrintThe Whole Instrument
Mae deddfwriaeth ar gael mewn fersiynau gwahanol:
Y Diweddaraf sydd Ar Gael (diwygiedig):Y fersiwn ddiweddaraf sydd ar gael o’r ddeddfwriaeth yn cynnwys newidiadau a wnaed gan ddeddfwriaeth ddilynol ac wedi eu gweithredu gan ein tîm golygyddol. Gellir gweld y newidiadau nad ydym wedi eu gweithredu i’r testun eto yn yr ardal ‘Newidiadau i Ddeddfwriaeth’.
Gwreiddiol (Fel y’i Deddfwyd neu y’i Gwnaed): Mae'r wreiddiol fersiwn y ddeddfwriaeth fel ag yr oedd pan gafodd ei deddfu neu eu gwneud. Ni wnaed unrhyw newidiadau i’r testun.
Gweler y wybodaeth ychwanegol ochr yn ochr â’r cynnwys
Rhychwant ddaearyddol: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Dangos Llinell Amser Newidiadau: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.
Dewisiadau Agor
Dewisiadau gwahanol i agor deddfwriaeth er mwyn gweld rhagor o gynnwys ar y sgrin ar yr un pryd
Policy Note
Policy Note sets out a brief statement of the purpose of a Scottish Statutory Instrument and provides information about its policy objective and policy implications. They aim to make the Scottish Statutory Instrument accessible to readers who are not legally qualified and accompany any Scottish Statutory Instrument or Draft Scottish Statutory Instrument laid before the Scottish Parliament from July 2012 onwards. Prior to this date these type of notes existed as ‘Executive Notes’ and accompanied Scottish Statutory Instruments from July 2005 until July 2012.
Rhagor o Adnoddau
Gallwch wneud defnydd o ddogfennau atodol hanfodol a gwybodaeth ar gyfer yr eitem ddeddfwriaeth o’r tab hwn. Yn ddibynnol ar yr eitem ddeddfwriaeth sydd i’w gweld, gallai hyn gynnwys:
- y PDF print gwreiddiol y fel deddfwyd fersiwn a ddefnyddiwyd am y copi print
- rhestr o newidiadau a wnaed gan a/neu yn effeithio ar yr eitem hon o ddeddfwriaeth
- manylion rhoi grym a newid cyffredinol
- pob fformat o’r holl ddogfennau cysylltiedig
- slipiau cywiro
- dolenni i ddeddfwriaeth gysylltiedig ac adnoddau gwybodaeth eraill
Llinell Amser Newidiadau
This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.
Rhagor o Adnoddau
Defnyddiwch y ddewislen hon i agor dogfennau hanfodol sy’n cyd-fynd â’r ddeddfwriaeth a gwybodaeth am yr eitem hon o ddeddfwriaeth. Gan ddibynnu ar yr eitem o ddeddfwriaeth sy’n cael ei gweld gall hyn gynnwys:
- y PDF print gwreiddiol y fel gwnaed fersiwn a ddefnyddiwyd am y copi print
- slipiau cywiro
liciwch ‘Gweld Mwy’ neu ddewis ‘Rhagor o Adnoddau’ am wybodaeth ychwanegol gan gynnwys
- rhestr o newidiadau a wnaed gan a/neu yn effeithio ar yr eitem hon o ddeddfwriaeth
- manylion rhoi grym a newid cyffredinol
- pob fformat o’r holl ddogfennau cysylltiedig
- dolenni i ddeddfwriaeth gysylltiedig ac adnoddau gwybodaeth eraill
Mae’r holl gynnwys ar gael dan Drwydded Llywodraeth Agored v3.0 ac eithrio ble nodir yn wahanol. Yn ychwanegol mae’r safle hwn â chynnwys sy’n deillio o EUR-Lex, a ailddefnyddiwyd dan delerau Penderfyniad y Comisiwn 2011/833/EU ar ailddefnyddio dogfennau o sefydliadau’r UE. Am ragor o wybodaeth gweler ddatganiad cyhoeddus Swyddfa Gyhoeddiadau’r UE ar ailddefnyddio.