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Closing safety gaps must be a priority for next Scottish Government says healthcare regulation watchdog
18 Feb 2026
With a 55% increase in serious patient safety incidents in Scotland’s health service in the last four years, the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) says closing the safety gaps must be a priority for the next Scottish Government.
In its Safer Care for Scotland - manifesto for change released today, the PSA (the UK’s healthcare regulation oversight body) urges those seeking office at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election on 7 May 2026 to focus on three areas for improving health and social care services in the country. These are:
- Tackling the health and care workforce crisis by developing a robust regulatory strategy to help manage any safety risks from workforce changes and support successful delivery of Scotland’s workforce plan
- Closing the safety gaps by setting up a mechanism so that learning from every major inquiry across Scotland and the UK leads to real, measurable change.
- Modernising regulation by working with the UK Government to fast-track the professional regulation reform programme. This will allow regulators to support a preventative approach which helps avoid harm, not just address it after it has occurred.
Over the past few years, there has been positive progress across the Scottish health and care landscape in areas such as investing in health innovation, appointing a Patient Safety Commissioner and tackling risks in non-surgical cosmetic procedures. However, with inquiries underway including Eljamel and Scottish Hospitals, alongside the national review of maternity services, concerns remain over the safety and quality of care.
Alan Clamp, PSA Chief Executive said:
“The healthcare sector in Scotland, as across the UK, faces challenges on numerous fronts – addressing staffing shortages and improving patient safety being two of the most important.
We also urge all political parties to prioritise action to improve public protection when workforce changes are made by adopting a clear method for deciding how to manage risks including from new roles.
In addition, the next Scottish Government needs to make sure that recommendations from various inquiries result in learning and tangible change on the ground.”
ENDS
Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care
Contact: media@professionalstandards.org.uk
Notes to the editor
- Safer Care for Scotland - manifesto for change, published on 18 February, sets out the PSA’s health and social care priorities for political parties ahead of the Scottish Parliament election on 7 May 2026.
- The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) is the UK’s oversight body for the regulation of people working in health and social care. Our statutory remit, independence and expertise underpin our commitment to the safety of patients and service-users, and to the protection of the public. There are 10 organisations that regulate health professionals in the UK and social workers in England by law. We audit their performance and review their decisions on practitioners’ fitness to practise. We also accredit and set standards for organisations holding registers of health and care practitioners not regulated by law. We collaborate with all of these organisations to improve standards. We share good practice, knowledge and our right-touch regulation expertise.
- We also conduct and promote research on regulation. We monitor policy developments in the UK and internationally, providing guidance to governments and stakeholders. Through our UK and international consultancy, we share our expertise and broaden our regulatory insights.
- Our values are – integrity, transparency, respect, fairness and teamwork – and we strive to ensure that they are at the core of our work.