Psychiatry Recruitment and Retention Working Group: final report

Letter from Tom Arthur

Ministear airson Curam Soisealta agus Sunnd Inntinn

Tom Arthur BPA

Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing

Tom Arthur MSP

T: 0300 244 4000

E: scottish.ministers@gov.scot

17 December 2025

Dear Working Group members,

I am grateful to the Working Group for their report and recommendations. I am acutely aware of the pressures faced by both psychiatrists and Health Boards within NHS Scotland.

The report clearly sets out the challenges and issues facing the training pathway as well as the recruitment and retention of psychiatrists working in NHS Scotland.

When the report was published, I welcomed the report and recommendations, acknowledging a need to take time to consider the recommendations as well as engaging with key delivery partners such as the territorial Health Boards and NES. I recognise that this process has taken longer than initially anticipated and I thank you for your patience.

My main purpose in writing to you is to formally acknowledge and respond to the recommendations set out for the Scottish Government, with a detailed response included in Annex A.

While the Scottish Government remain committed to progressing the implementation of agreed actions, there are some recommendations that we agree with in principle, and our response highlights those, but require further consideration. This includes many of those recommendations related to training. As you will know, NHS Education for Scotland already has a medical education reform programme and psychiatry is a priority specialty within that work.

Phase one of Future Medical Workforce project reported on 11 December. The project has heard the views of doctors across Scotland (including many psychiatrists) and as you would expect, improvements to the way that medical training in Scotland is managed have been identified. These insights, alongside the recently published NHS England review into postgraduate training, will inform the next iteration and priorities of the reform programme.

As many of the issues highlighted during the Future Medical Workforce project's engagement with doctors across the different specialties overlap with the issues set out in the working Group report, it is sensible to consider these issues as a whole, while recognising the unique and key issues identified in relation to psychiatry (as a priority specialty) and ensuring that solutions to these are set within the broader context and consistent with wider work. For example, I envisage that the training recommendations from the psychiatry report, together with the GP recruitment & retention action plan, will inform the direction of the NES reform programme which will link to the stakeholder-led Future Medical Workforce phase 2 work on Medical Education and Training Reform, to take forward relevant actions and progress advice for Scottish Government on next steps. As we work through the next phase of the Future Medical Workforce project, I will ask officials to explore what opportunities there could be for the Royal College of Psychiatrists to join the appropriate governance and implementation groups associated with this training reform as well as work to improve workplace culture and experiences.

The Scottish Government will work collaboratively with others, but I should caveat that where full implementation is dependant on the other relevant organisations, it will be a decision for the respective organisations. Where we have been unable to respond, I hope that the accompanying narrative gives an adequate reason in each case and reflects our ongoing commitment to work with you to deliver the changes we know are required.

I have asked my officials to meet with the Working Group and host an extraordinary meeting at the earliest convenience to discuss next steps and the response to the recommendations made.

In accepting the agreed recommendations, I have confidence that moving forward we will improve outcomes for the people of Scotland whilst ensuring that our psychiatric workforce is skilled and supported in their workplaces.

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in this work, their continued hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely

Tom Arthur MSP