# The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026

S.S.I. 2026/54 · made 4 February 2026

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 (“2024 Regulations”) which make provision in relation to the common staffing method. The common staffing method was introduced into the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (“1978 Act”) by section 4 of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 and includes, among other things, the use of a “staffing level tool” and a “professional judgement tool” in determining the appropriate staffing levels for particular kinds of health care provision.

Made under: National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (Section 12IJ, Section 105)

PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-common-staffing-method-scotland-amendment-regulations-2026/pdf/ssi_20260054_en.pdf; Policy Note https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-common-staffing-method-scotland-amendment-regulations-2026/pdf/ssipn_20260054_en_001.pdf

## Introductory text

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
Made 4th February 2026
Laid before the Scottish Parliament 6th February 2026
Coming into force 1st April 2026
The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 12IJ(3) and 105(7) of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 and all other powers enabling them to do so.

## 1 Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026 and come into force on 1 April 2026.

## 2 Amendment of the National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Regulations 2024

(1) The National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 are amended in accordance with this regulation.
(2) In regulation 4 (Professional judgement tool), for “Version 4” substitute “Version 5”.
(3) In the second column of the table in the schedule (Staffing level tools)—
(a) in each place it appears, for “Version 4” substitute “Version 5”,
(b) for “Maternity Staffing Level Tool Version 3” substitute “Maternity Services Staffing Level Tool Version 1”,
(c) for “SCAMPS - Scottish Children’s Acuity Measurement in Paediatric Settings Version 3” substitute “SCAMPS - Scottish Children’s Acuity Measurement in Paediatric Settings Version 4”,
(d) other than provided for in paragraphs (b) and (c), in each place it appears, for “Version 3” substitute “Version 4”, and
(e) for “Version 1” substitute “Version 2”.

## Signature

MAREE TODD
Authorised to sign by the Scottish Ministers
St Andrew's House
Edinburgh
4th February 2026

## Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 (“2024 Regulations”) which make provision in relation to the common staffing method. The common staffing method was introduced into the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (“1978 Act”) by section 4 of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 and includes, among other things, the use of a “staffing level tool” and a “professional judgement tool” in determining the appropriate staffing levels for particular kinds of health care provision.
Regulation 2 makes amendments to provisions in the 2024 Regulations which prescribe, for the purposes of section 12IJ(3) of the 1978 Act, the professional judgement tool and the staffing level tools.
The professional judgement tool and the staffing level tools are publicly available online on Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s website at https://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.scot/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/HSP-SLT-Methodologies-and-Multipliers-January-2026.pdf.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2026/54 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-common-staffing-method-scotland-amendment-regulations-2026
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.