R67 Response Accepted

Link Nurse training

Recommendation

Health Boards should ensure that, where a local Link Nurse system is in place as part of the IPS system, the Link Nurses have specific training for that role.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
- The Scottish Government published its response to the Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report on 18 June 2015, accepting all 75 recommendations and establishing an Implementation Group chaired by the Chief Nursing Officer (Scottish Government Response, June 2015).
- The Scottish Government's response confirmed that the HAI Taskforce delivery plan included education and training frameworks to ensure Link Nurses have specific training for that role. The Cleanliness Champions Programme, introduced in September 2003, has been completed by over 18,000 NHS Scotland staff.
- NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provides national education programmes for IPC, including specialist training for Infection Control Nurses and Doctors, mandatory induction training for all healthcare workers, and continuing professional development resources.
- The HCAI Strategy 2023-2025 includes workforce education as a priority, with ARHAI Scotland supporting training and competency development across NHS boards (Scottish HCAI Strategy 2023-2025 (https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-healthcare-associated-infection-hcai-strategy-2023-2025/)).
- Regulatory bodies (NMC, GMC) require continuing professional development as a condition of registration, reinforced through revalidation processes.
Sources
How was this evidence gathered?
Evidence searched by Claude (Anthropic) on 10 Apr 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The evidence above reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Jurisdiction
Scotland
Response
Accepted
Accepted Scottish Government
18 Jun 2015

Section 4.3 of the Scottish Government's response describes the HAI Taskforce's support for education, which includes a strategy to ensure all healthcare workers receive appropriate education and training related to HAI. It also promotes an education framework for specialists working in infection prevention and control. Additionally, postgraduate education programs for specialist and advanced practice roles are available to nurses, funded by NHS boards, to ensure a highly-skilled workforce.

Read Full Response
Published Evidence

Published assessments of progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Source type badge indicates whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.

Good Progress
01 Jan 2025
NHS Education for Scotland Other

SIPCEP includes Link Nurse/Link Practitioner training as part of the staged IPC education pathway. IPC Zone on Turas Learn platform provides role-specific training resources.

View detailed findings

Infection Prevention Workforce Strategic Plan 2022-2024 addresses Link Nurse role development as part of broader IPC workforce strategy.

NES IPC Education Team - SIPCEP Link Practitioner… View Source
Source
Inquiry Vale of Leven Inquiry
Report The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report 24 Nov 2014
View Source
Responsible Bodies
NHS Health Boards (Scotland) Primary
Themes & Tags
Care home infection control Staff training and development Training Nursing
Recommendation age 11.5 yrs
Last formal update 4001 days ago