Job promise 'still stands' for new nurses

STUDENT nurses in Edinburgh will still be guaranteed a job within a year of graduation, despite sweeping job cuts in the NHS.

Both Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon and NHS Lothian this week offered assurances that the promise of employment still stood, though conceded it would be "challenging" to maintain.

There had been doubt cast on whether the hundreds of student nurses at Edinburgh Napier and Queen Margaret universities would be able to secure a job within 12 months, a Scottish Government vow.

News that NHS Lothian will cut 333 nursing posts this year raised further questions.

However, following a question from Napier representative Alan Connelly at NHS Lothian's annual review, Ms Sturgeon said: "We are determined to honour this commitment.

"I'm not suggesting that will be easy given the situation with finance and we will have to work very closely on it."

She added that the commitment didn't guarantee a job in the health board of a student's choosing, and could mean taking on only part-time work to begin with.