NHS Fife is continuing work to implement the nationally agreed reduction in the NHS working week, while carefully balancing staff wellbeing, patient safety and financial sustainability.
As part of the NHS Scotland Agenda for Change pay agreement, the standard working week for most NHS staff will reduce from 37.5 hours to 36 hours by April 2026, with no loss of pay. The change is designed to improve work–life balance, support staff wellbeing and help retain skilled NHS workers.
The first phased of this work saw the working week reduced to 37 hours in April 2024. At its meeting on 27 January, the NHS Fife Board received an update on local progress and the actions underway to safely introduce the final one-hour reduction from April 2026.
NHS Fife has developed a detailed implementation plan, which has been submitted to the Scottish Government, setting out how services will maintain safe staffing levels. This includes targeted recruitment, offering additional hours to existing staff, and service redesign where appropriate, with around 100 whole-time equivalent posts are currently in active recruitment.
All services have completed structured risk assessments to ensure patient care is protected, with close oversight through established governance and partnership arrangements. Progress will continue to be monitored and reported regularly to NHS Fife committees and the Board.
David Miller, Director of People & Culture, said: “The reduced working week is a national commitment that recognises the incredible contribution of NHS staff. In Fife, we are taking a careful and responsible approach recruiting where needed, listening to staff, and making sure patient safety and service quality remain our top priorities while we deliver this important change.”
The Board noted that while the programme carries challenges, the risks to workforce capacity, finance and patient care are being actively managed. NHS Fife will continue to work closely with staff representatives and the Scottish Government as implementation progresses.
[ENDS]
Notes to Editors:-
- A detailed report on the implementation of the reduced working week for NHS Fife staff has been published on the NHS Fife website as part of the meeting papers for the January 2026 meeting of the NHS Fife Board (starting on page 88).
