Politicians 'Must Take NHS Recruitment Seriously'

Recruitment is the biggest problem facing the NHS going into 2016.

Union bosses want politicians to take action in the new year to protect the future of the health service.

It's been a particular issue in Fife, where a GP surgery in Methil was taken over by the health board because it couldn't find enough GPs.

Doctor Peter Bennie, the Chair of the British Mediucal Association in Scotland, said: "The NHS in Scotland faces serious challenges and the country’s political parties need to focus on these issues as we move towards the Scottish Parliament elections in 2016.

"The BMA Scotland manifesto for health has specifically called for politicians to acknowledge the growing funding gap in Scotland's health service as constrained resources struggle to keep pace with rapidly increasing demand on services. 

"The recent announcement of additional investment in Scotland's NHS as part of Scotland’s draft budget for 2016/17 should help to prevent that gap growing further, but it is clear that the NHS will face significantly more pressure as Scotland's population continues to age.

"In October this year an Audit Scotland report clearly identified that fundamental change is needed now if the NHS in Scotland is to cope with rising demands across a range of fronts.

"The struggle to recruit and retain doctors adds to that burden significantly. Unfilled vacancies put pressure on existing NHS staff, already dealing with high workloads. This is a concern that doctors express to us regularly, along with the belief that in the long-term this will have a detrimental impact on their ability to deliver the sustainable, high-quality care people in Scotland need and deserve."