Moray MP Douglas Ross has hit out at the “astonishing” rise in the use of bank and agency staff across NHS Grampian.
A series of Freedom of Information Requests by the Scottish Conservatives have revealed the “eye-watering” increases in the number of bank and agency shifts advertised by the health board in the last five years.
The response to the FOI shows that in 2018/19, a total of 145,000 bank and agency shifts combined were advertised by NHS Grampian, but in 2022/23, that had “skyrocketed” to 258,000.
That constitutes a rise of 78 per cent over that period. In April and May – the first two financial months of 2023/24 – a total of 54,000 shifts were advertised, meaning the total number of shifts advertised since 2018/19 has now surpassed one million.
Douglas says this “fully exposes” the “dire workforce planning” by successive SNP health secretaries who have failed to ensure NHS Grampian has the frontline staff it needs before turning to bank or agency staff to fill the void.
The Freedom of Information response also shows that fewer than two-thirds of the advertised shifts were filled, putting even more pressure on “overstretched” staff.
He added that “discredited and distracted” SNP health secretary Michael Matheson to urgently get a grip of this situation, as the last thing NHS Grampian need to be doing when budgets are at breaking point is to be shelling out on staff to cover shifts.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “The rise in the use of bank and agency staff within NHS Grampian is absolutely astonishing.
“While I fully recognise the value these staff bring to our health service, it is clear now that there has become an over-reliance on them.
“The buck for these eye-watering increases stops with successive SNP health secretaries.
“These findings fully expose their dire workforce planning which has left NHS Grampian repeatedly and dangerously understaffed on the frontline, and they are left with little option to advertise these shifts.
“Even then, fewer than two-thirds of them are getting filled, putting frontline staff in places like Dr Gray’s under even more pressure.
“The discredited and distracted Michael Matheson needs to urgently get a grip of this situation.
“Given how tight budgets are, the last thing NHS Grampian need to be doing is shelling out crucial resources to cover significant staffing gaps.