Nicola Sturgeon accused of breaking pledge on MND nurses

Nicola Sturgeon broke her promise to Motor Neurone Disease campaigner Gordon Aikman to double the number of specialist nurses, Labour said yesterday.

Health boards were given £700,000 in June to recruit MND nurses to meet the target of doubling their number across NHS Scotland by the end of October.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale told First Minister’s Questions: “Nicola Sturgeon has not kept the promise she made directly to Gordon.”

Mr Aikman, a former Fife schoolboy, was just 29 when he was diagnosed with the condition.

Asked when the promise would be made good, Ms Sturgeon said: “I genuinely don’t think it’s fair to say we are not fulfilling the commitment that we gave to Gordon Aikman.

“The delays are to do with difficulties in recruitment and getting the right people with the right skills into post.”

Ms Dugdale also called for the SNP to introduce a living wage for care workers to help tackle the recruitment crisis.

Ms Sturgeon responded that £12.5 million, invested in partnership with local councils, is part of £25m to improve wages and conditions in the sector.