A recruitment crisis continues to engulf NHS Fife as bosses struggle to fill 31 consultant posts that have been vacant for at least six months.
There are 34 vacancies for the senior doctors at the health board, which represents 12.4% of its target workforce, according to the latest NHS figures for December.
That is the highest vacancy rate of all Scotland’s health boards and dwarfs the 5.9% national average.
Fife MSP Dr Richard Simpson, who is Labour’s health spokesman, said: “These figures are hugely concerning, and just shows what a shambles the SNP Government in Edinburgh have made of NHS workforce planning.
“This sums up the entire sticking plaster approach of the SNP when it comes to managing our NHS.”
Health Secretary Shona Robison said NHS staffing numbers have risen 8.9% under the SNP.
“These latest figures show staffing in the NHS again reaching a record high, with more nurses and more consultants working in Scotland’s health service than ever before,” she said.
Meanwhile, other national NHS figures released yesterday showed hospitals cancelled 800 operations for no clinical reason in January, an increase of more than 200 on the previous month.
NHS Fife was unable to comment on the consultant figures when contacted by The Courier.