Scottish Government '˜ignoring major risk' of NHS shortages

Doctors have accused the Scottish Government of 'simply ignoring a major risk to the health service' by failing to deal with staff shortages in the NHS, the chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Scotland is set to claim.

Doctors have warned MSPs not to 'ignore' staff shortages. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Dr Peter Bennie will use a speech today to highlight the “unrelenting” pressures staff and services are facing - adding there are areas where the NHS lacks enough staff to “look after patients properly”.

Official figures show more than 400 consultant jobs across Scotland are unfilled while Brexit could spark an “exodus of talented staff” from the health service, Dr Bennie will claim.

He will say “urgent action” is now needed to tackle the problems, with the BMA calling on governments across the UK to increase the amount of cash that goes to the NHS.

The BMA’s Scottish chair will use his speech to the organisation’s annual representative meeting in Bournemouth to speak out about the issues medical staff are facing.

He will argue the public must be consulted about which services they want to see provided on the NHS as well as being told “honestly how much it will cost”.

Both the “financial difficulties facing the NHS in Scotland and the pressures on our clinical workforce are unrelenting,” Dr Bennie will say.

He will add: “Good health services cost money and health spending is a political choice.

“The UK spends a smaller proportion of its national wealth than the average levels spent by comparable leading European nations and the BMA is calling for that to change, in all four nations.”

On the “key area” of staffing, he will insist: “We simply do not have enough doctors in general practice or secondary care in Scotland to look after patients properly. The most recent government figures show that more than 400 consultant posts in Scotland are unfilled and almost half of these have been unfilled for more than six months.”

Junior doctor positions in many specialities “lie empty”, he will add, while more than a quarter of GP practices are “missing” senior staff.

Dr Bennie will say: “Scottish Government repeatedly says that ‘there are more doctors than ever before’ - but this is simply ignoring a major risk to the health service and it is demoralising and frustrating for doctors to hear time and time again.”

The BMA is calling for a “realistic approach to workforce planning in Scotland” to help reduce “the risk of burnout”..

Dr Bennie will also argue that many of the health problems doctors have to deal with are “due to many years of deprivation, inequalities and poor public health”.