Health Secretary Alex Neil is to be pressed for answers on NHS Fife’s staffing crisis.
The loss of two radiologists and difficulty in recruiting locum staff has led to soaring waiting times for patients referred for diagnostic tests.
Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Claire Baker said she was deeply concerned by the situation which has seen a doubling in the number of patients in the last year failing to be tested within the target six-week period.
Mrs Baker now intends to write to Mr Neil demanding more funding for the NHS in Fife so it can fully staff its hospitals and health centres.
Her comments have heaped further pressure on the beleagured health authority which is already the subject of calls for an independent review of its ability to meet local health needs.
Cowdenbeath MSP Alex Rowley wrote to the health secretary earlier this month asking if he had confidence in the “crisis-hit” service.
This followed revelations the health board is currently suffering a shortage of 40 consultants, with 3.4 whole time equivalent vacancies in radiology alone.
At the end of April, 1,540 of the 5,765 patients waiting for a diagnostic test had waited more than six weeks.
At the last board meeting, health chiefs admitted six-week breaches were now at their highest ever level and had almost doubled since the same time last year.
Around 40% of the six-week breaches occurred in people waiting for an endoscopy.
In a report to the board, NHS Fife chief executive John Wilson said: “It is a challenge to improve and sustain waiting times for radiology against increasing demand.
“Referrals have increased by 27%, from an annual figure of 54,741 to 69,311.
“An improving position on waiting times was reported at the April board meeting but the situation has deteriorated during the last period due to the loss of two radiologists, the unpredictable availability of locum staff and the impact of annual leave.”
Mr Wilson said the board was continuing to search for locum and bank sonographers to allow for additional sessions to address rising demand.
He added, however: “That is proving particularly challenging when there is an increase in urgent referrals.”
Mrs Baker said the increase in breaches highlighted deeper problems within the NHS, not just in Fife but across Scotland.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that, due to underfunding from the Scottish Government, staff in NHS Fife are being continually stretched beyond their means,” she said.
“This is not sustainable in the long run and action must be taken to address it.”
She added: “Whilst it is inevitable in any organisation that staff will leave, it is vital that within our health system they are replaced as quickly as possible.
“Whilst locum staff have a role to play they cannot become a crutch to prop up our NHS.
“What we must see is proper investment from the Scottish Government to support staff within our hospitals and ensure that any vacancies are quickly filled before our waiting lists spiral out of control.
“I will be writing to the Health Secretary and calling for him to provide the NHS in Fife the funding it deserves so it can fully staff our hospitals and health centres.”
In his letter to Mr Neil, Mr Rowley said his concern centred on a “potentially flawed” model used by NHS Fife to centralise services at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy at the expense of Dunfermline’s Queen Margaret Hospital.