Locum docs cost health service £5m

NHS Lothian spent nearly £5 million on locum doctors last year, almost five times the amount spent four years ago.

Scottish Government figures also revealed that the cost of locum doctors in the NHS had almost doubled since 2006-07 to more than 36m. Health boards spent 19.5m on the service in 2006-07, increasing to 36.8m in 2009-10.

Labour's health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie described the figures as "shocking" and called on the government to investigate.

She said: "In the current economic climate, I am concerned these costs are not sustainable.

"When the soaring cost of locum doctors is set alongside the high number of cancelled operations and the fall in the number of hospital beds that has taken place in the past four years, it suggests that the SNP have been poor stewards of the NHS."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said health boards had reduced medical agency costs by 3m in the last quarter.

She added: "We expect to see further savings."