Training to identify domestic abuse victims and encourage them to talk about their ordeal will be given to more than 5,000 NHS staff in Scotland, it has been revealed.

Accident and Emergency staff, health visitors, midwives and mental health workers will receive the training over the next 18 months.

Health boards, with the support of a national NHS domestic abuse team, will be developing specialist training programmes for staff to issue national guidelines and highlight best practices.

Scotland will be the "first country in the UK" to tackle domestic abuse using the NHS to spot and help more victims, a Scottish Government spokeswoman said.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "Domestic abuse can have a profound impact on someone`s health including physical injuries, anxiety, depression and sadly we know it is one of the biggest reasons for suicide.

"Often the health service is the first, or indeed only, service that victims will use either for themselves or their children," said Nicola Sturgeon. "The NHS therefore has a pivotal role in helping to combat domestic abuse. And importantly, NHS staff should feel well equipped and confident about opening the door for people to talk about domestic abuse.

"This early detection and a sympathetic response will help to protect victims and children and offer them the opportunity to access help and support to get their lives back on track."

Copyright ⌐ Press Association 2010

Nurses are missing out on vital training, with 32% unable to attend their compulsory training this year and 44% feeling they are not generally up-to-date with training.

A survey of more than 3,000 nurses for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found almost a third could not attend their compulsory training this year - which includes basic life-support and managing infections like MRSA.

Of those, 44% said not enough staff - leading to a lack of cover - was the key reason why they could not attend.

The RCN said staff cutbacks meant nurses were being forced to train in their own time or miss out altogether - reducing the quality of care.

The poll found 34% of nurses had used their annual leave to train, while 39% had spent their own cash to keep up with developments in areas like infection and child protection.

Overall, 56% of nurses said they felt up-to-date with their training.

Janet Davies, executive director of nursing and service delivery for the RCN, said: "We know from previous economic downturns that training is often the first place managers look when they need to start making cuts, even though nurses need to be up to date with issues such as infection control and child protection at all times."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "The 2009 NHS staff survey showed that four out of five staff have received job relevant training and that there has been a 5% increase in the number of staff receiving appraisals, an 8% increase in equality and diversity training and a 5% increase in infection control training."

Copyright ⌐ Press Association 2010