Senior management at NHS Fife are to blame for the shortage of junior doctors that has hit hospital services in Kirkcaldy, a leading health campaigner has claimed.
Andrew Rodger is adamant that the region’s health board was the only one in Scotland not to meet requirements regarding grading and rota training for such medical staff.
Councillor Rodger will be holding a silent protest outside the Victoria Hospital on Tuesday to highlight his concerns.
On several occasions in recent weeks, a shortage of staff has seen the hospital unable to accept acute medical admissions, while the accident and emergency department has been forced to operate as a minor injuries clinic.
Mr Rodger said, “Senior management in NHS Fife have made it clear that, where the shortage of junior doctors is concerned, this is a national problem but this is incorrect as every board in Scotland, apart from Fife, met the requirements for the new deal for junior doctors regarding grade and rota training.
“Fife was the only board that did not meet these requirements and was threatened with the removal of junior doctors for not carrying out the proper training and rotas.
“They claim the reasons for not meeting the requirements are that junior doctors go off sick, they leave to take up other posts and some do not take up their posts in Fife and they cannot get locum doctors to cover rotas.
“When I questioned medical director Dr Gordon Birnie I said that would be the same scenario for every other board in Scotland and he had to agree with this, but continued to say that it was a national problem.”
He continued, “Fife NHS received an allocation of 201 junior doctors which, I believe, was an increase from the previous year, so I am saying loud and clear that this is a senior management problem related to Fife and needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
“I also believe they are playing a game of embarrassing the health minister, because the facts are there for everyone to see that it is not a national problem at the moment.
“It may be in the future, but that remains to be seen depending on any cuts that the health service may have to incur.”
Mr Rodger said that his silent protest outside the Victoria on Tuesday he plans to be at theDunnikier Road entrance from 8.30am-12.30pm would be a dignified one and well away from patients, relatives and ambulance services.
He added that if any councillor wished to join him, he would be grateful for their support, firstly to patients and secondly to nurses and junior doctors.
He said, “I have been inundated with emails and phone calls regarding the closure of accident and emergency and ward 13, the lack of beds, patients being boarded from ward to ward, patients lying on trolleys for hours on end and unsafe discharges from hospital.
“Nursing staff are very upset about this situation and are frightened to speak out for fear of recrimination, so they have asked me to be their vehicle to carry their messages of concern to senior management of NHS Fife.”
An NHS Fife spokesperson said, “We have no comment to make except to clarify the numbers of junior doctors.
“The allocation quoted of 201 doctors is not meaningful in the context of implementing the contingency plan for A&E and emergency medicine.
“In August 2009, NHS Fife received an allocation for A&E across both its sites of six doctors in junior training grades and 20 in more senior training grades, a total of 26.
“When Councillor Rodger met Professor Jim McGoldrick and colleagues from NHS Fife on Tuesday, he was also told that there were now six gaps in this allocation of 26.
“A new intake for the 2010/11 year starts work next week-over 90% of these posts are already filled.”Glenrothes and Central Fife MP Lindsay Roy saidyesterday that the situation at the Victoria is “crying out” for proper management.
“I believe that Scottish health minister Nicola Sturgeon should take control of the situation, as it appears most unlikely that a solution will be found by NHS Fife.
“With all the resources that have been poured into the NHS over the last 13 years, I am astonished that the health of people in this constituency is being put at risk.”