Highlands and Islands MSP, Edward Mountain MSP has renewed calls for the creation of a Highland Medical School to address NHS Highland’s historic issues to recruit health care professionals to the region.
The call was made after it was revealed that NHS Highland have so far only employed 25% of the staff required to fully operate the new National Treatment Centre, based in Inverness, and which is due to open this Autumn.
Edward Mountain MSP raised this issue in First Minister’s Questions today and asked:
“when construction of the National Treatment Centres, which are due to open this year, is completed, whether they will have sufficient staff to begin tackling the Scotland-wide patient backlog?”
The First Minister replied:
“Yes, recruitment is already progressing well and I can actually tell the Chamber that a significant number, around 200 of the 1,500 that will be required for the National Treatment Centres are actually already recruited.”
She added: “the full complement will be in place once the network of ten National Treatment Centres are fully operational. Of course over the next twelve months, three of the new centres will open their doors and start treating patients. That will include the Inverness National Treatment Centre, which will be up and running by the end of the year. Clearly increasing specialist recruitment on this scale is not without its challenges and that’s why we’ve provided the NHS with targeted additional funding to develop workforce supply and international recruitment.”
Edward Mountain MSP then asked:
“Your comments about Inverness are actually interesting because this was announced in 2015, giving us ample time for training. So far NHS Highland have secured about 25% of their team. 65 people, 20 which come from their own resources, which only leaves 200 to find.
Does the First Minister agree with me that the Highland National Treatment Centre’s staffing problems could have been answered by establishing a medical school in the Highlands, which I have been calling for, for years?
The First Minister said:
“We’ve increased recruitment and intake to medical training. We will continue to take the right decisions in terms of overall NHS workforce but I tell you what else would have helped NHS Highland’s recruitment efforts over recent times and that is if the Tories hadn’t taken us out of the European Union.”
Following the First Minister’s statement, Edward Mountain MSP said:
“The First Minister announced the National Treatment Centre back in 2015. Her government has had seven years to plan and prepare the teams required for the facility.
“So it’s deeply concerning that with six months to go before the facility opens that NHS Highland are struggling with recruitment.
“It is clear that our region needs more access to training and that’s why the Scottish Government should establish a Highland Medical School. But it doesn’t appear that the First Minister is ready to commit to this yet and that is unacceptable given the historic struggles NHS Highland has experienced when it comes to recruitment.
“Those who are trained in the Highlands are more likely to stay in the Highlands. Our region needs a medical school more than ever before.”
