The SNP Authorities has been slammed for spending greater than £423 million in a single 12 months on non permanent docs within the NHS - an increase of 30 per cent.
In accordance with the newest NHS workforce statistics it reveals that a complete of £423.4 million was paid out within the 2021-22 monetary 12 months for locum docs and dentists and company and financial institution nurses.
Whereas there was a rise in nurse spending of 36 per cent to £321m. Company nurse spending greater than doubled to £88.9m - rise of 126.2 per cent on the earlier 12 months.
Since 2014-15, the figures present, the whole spend has elevated from £213.5 million, an increase of 98 per cent.
The Scottish Authorities defended its document by saying "regardless of the pressures of the pandemic we've already delivered a document variety of GPs working in Scotland".
Whereas Scottish Tory well being spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane stated the statistics are a "damning indictment of the SNP's wasteful and inefficient administration of our NHS".
He added: "Having been each absolutely employed and a locum physician with the NHS, I do know that locum docs and nurses are an important a part of our healthcare service - however beneath the SNP, they've turn into a crutch for our chronically understaffed system.
"Hospitals are crying out for full-time docs and nurses, but as a substitute of specializing in rising the sturdy, everlasting workforce Scotland wants, the SNP has allowed harmful staffing shortages to come up throughout the nation whereas papering over the cracks with non permanent employees.
"A few of this locum spending may have even gone in the direction of everlasting employees or retirees begged to tackle additional shifts with a view to plug the big gaps within the workforce.
"Additionally it is notably regarding to see such big will increase in spending on company employees, as this not solely includes the salaries of non permanent docs and nurses, however charges paid to the non-public businesses that offer them, as properly.
"Our NHS workforce is quickly reaching a disaster level and except (Well being Secretary) Humza Yousaf urgently commits to an bold overhaul of workforce planning, this wasteful, dysfunctional system will solely worsen."
Stats present the workforce is at its highest degree since a minimum of 2012.
Some 181,723 members of employees work within the NHS, as of March 31 this 12 months, rising from 153,426 in 2012, a leap of 18.4 per cent.
Nevertheless, emptiness charges remained excessive, with 6,209 complete time equal nursing posts accessible and 499 for docs and dentists.
The turnover price additionally rose from 5.7 per cent in 2020-21 to 9 per cent in 2021-22, with 19,309 leaving the NHS up to now 12 months and 15,389 becoming a member of - the best variety of new-starts on document.
It comes as a Scottish Labour freedom of knowledge requests discovered the Fife, Higher Glasgow and Clyde, Dumfries and Galloway, Tayside, and Lothian well being boards spent a complete of £258.9 million on locum docs since 2017.
Jackie Baillie, the social gathering's well being spokeswoman, stated: "Underneath the SNP, the extent of vacancies for docs and consultants is growing, leaving big gaps in companies. However as a substitute of addressing the issue they give you short-term fixes.
"This recruitment disaster has occurred as a result of the SNP has spent 15 years mismanaging our NHS service. Anybody taking a look at these locum figures can see that that is an unsustainable technique to handle NHS staffing.
"By failing to recruit everlasting employees by means of enticing pay and circumstances, the SNP has compelled our NHS to turn into an addict to short-term staffing fixes. That is an costly sticking plaster that highlights the endemic lack of long-term technique from the SNP well being minister."
A Scottish Authorities spokesperson stated: "Spend on company nursing in Scotland - utilised throughout the pandemic - represents lower than 1% of the general staffing finances with the vast majority of non permanent staffing coming from the NHS Employees Financial institution, which has NHS employees on NHS contracts.
"Regardless of the pressures of the pandemic we've already delivered a document variety of GPs working in Scotland, with extra per head than another nation within the UK, and we're dedicated to additional growing the variety of GPs in Scotland by 800 by 2027.
"We're on monitor to satisfy that dedication and have additionally recruited over 2,400 healthcare consultants by means of the GP Contract to help practices.
"We're absolutely conscious of the troublesome circumstances that boards and front-line employees are working in, which is why we've labored laborious to make sure that our NHS maintains the elevated numbers of employees we have seen over the previous 10 consecutive years.
"Nursing and midwifery employees numbers are at document excessive ranges throughout the nation - up by 14.5%. We've additionally continued our long-term funding in nursing and midwifery training, with document numbers of funded locations this tutorial 12 months. Pupil nurses and midwives coming into funded diploma programmes will improve for the tenth consecutive 12 months in 2022-23, that means pupil locations have doubled within the final decade.
"We've additionally dedicated over £1 billion to our NHS Restoration Plan, and £300 million which was introduced final winter to help extra recruitment, which is already paying off."
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