Link Nurse training
Vale of Leven Inquiry · The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report · Issued 24 November 2014 · Addressed to: NHS Health Boards (Scotland)
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry 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.
Vale of Leven Inquiry, The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report · 24 Nov 2014 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- 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.
Response — verbatim from government
●Scottish Government
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.
Scottish Government · 18 Jun 2015 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 1 Jan 2025 · NHS Education for Scotland 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 source → Good Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.