MORE than 150 new trainee doctor posts are set to be created in Scotland next year in what will be the largest annual expansion on record.
It represents a 2.3% increase above the current whole time equivalent workforce of 6570 trainees.
The additional posts, costing £42 million over the next four years, are being funded by the Scottish Government to help meet growing demand in a number of key specialties.
NHS Education for Scotland recommended extra staff should be placed in 24 different specialties overall, including anaesthetics, emergency medicine, general practice, intensive care medicine, paediatrics, psychiatry and surgery.
Successful applicants will take up their posts in August 2024.
READ MORE: Ofgem announces increase in average energy bill of £94 a year
Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Funding for these additional places will help to relieve some of the pressures currently facing our health service.
“The level of expansion taking place in 2024 – the largest ever – shows the Scottish Government’s continued investment and commitment to ensure that our health service is equipped to deliver timely and effective care to those who need it.
“Under this government NHS staffing is at a historically high level – up by around 29,100 whole time equivalent.
“We will continue to work with NHS Education for Scotland to support our trainees and ensure that we have a sufficient supply of doctors to meet future demand.”
Trainee doctors make up approximately 40% of all doctors currently employed by NHS health boards.
A total of 152 posts were created this year and 139 were added in 2022.
NHS Education for Scotland medical director Emma Watson said: “We welcome this announcement of additional posts across a wide range of specialties and in particular general practice.
“The increase will ensure we can support our doctors to work more flexibly where communities need them. We believe Scotland offers the highest quality medical education. Our trainees are a key part of the NHS workforce of the future - enabling us to offer better quality care and outcomes for every citizen in Scotland.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here