NHS staff overwhelmed by mounting pressures despite influx of new doctors

NHS staff feel that they are working “flat out” in a system which is “ready to break”, a health professional has stated. 

This comes as First Minister Humza Yousaf has said that he is “delighted” by figures announced yesterday which show that 94% of junior doctor positions in Scotland were filled last year. 

However Kenneth MacLeod, a senior charge nurse working under the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board, said: “There is staffing legislation in place that should ensure unsafe staffing levels within the NHS is avoided.

“However, there is an over-reliance on bank and agency staff to maintain staffing levels which is putting pressure on budgets.

“The increased uptake in junior doctors positions will help relieve stress on the NHS, but recruitment and retention in all healthcare professions needs to be better. 

“Staff feel that they are working flat out in a system which is ready to break with no end in sight.”

The First Minister championed the unprecedented uptake in junior doctor roles, saying: “It’s clear from these results that Scotland continues to perform strongly in the field of medical education and training. 

“This reflects the dedication of our NHS staff who deliver high quality training while also caring for their patients alongside our continued investment in expanding our medical workforce and improving conditions.”

However Dr Chris Smith, chair of the British Medical Association’s junior doctors committee, said: “Simply considering the overall fill rate for medical training posts does not provide a full picture or the full context and there undoubtedly are still questions over whether these numbers will be enough given spiraling demand on our NHS and rota gaps.

“Looking at specifics, there is a downward trend across a number of specialties and low fill rates are of particular concern in some programmes where the number of posts is very small. 

“We also need to make the NHS a better place to work so we don’t lose junior doctors to elsewhere – simply starting training doesn’t account for how many might not finish, given the huge challenges of working in Scotland’s NHS currently.”

Dr Smith then called on the Scottish Government to fulfill the pay restoration for junior doctors that was promised last year as well as urging them to begin a national conversation on creating an NHS that is sustainable for years to come. 

These figures come at a pivotal time for the NHS in Scotland, which has been under intense scrutiny as of late. 

NHS watchdog Audit Scotland has recently stated that NHS Scotland is “simply unable” to meet growing demand and that a clear and coherent plan is needed for the service to recover. 

Most recently, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow has come under fire due to the mishandling of an investigation into unsafe staffing levels at the hospital after concerns were raised by staff. 

Watchdog Healthcare Improvement Scotland, who carried out the investigation which concluded last August, have recently apologised for failing to interview the 29 consultants who originally raised concerns about staffing levels within the hospital.