BMA warning over skills shortage

BMA Scotland says more staff are needed to train medical students

Scotland faces a medical academic staffing crisis unless it launches a recruitment drive, the British Medical Association has warned.

The BMA said medical schools lost 6% of their clinical staff last year, with worst-hit Aberdeen losing 12.8%.

It welcomed moves to increase student numbers by 25%, but said clinical staffing levels had to be addressed.

The Scottish Executive said it did not set staffing levels and denied that training was in jeopardy.

Clinical academics educate students and undertake biomedical and clinical research.

Scotland clearly does need more trained doctors, but who is going to educate them if this drop in medical academics is not reversed Dr Stewart Irvine BMA

BMA Scotland said the fall in academics north of the border was higher than elsewhere in the UK.

Dr Stewart Irvine, chairman of the BMA Scottish medical academic staff committee, said his colleagues were concerned for the future.

"We are very concerned that clinical academic staff numbers are being allowed to fall so much at a time when the Scottish Executive is looking to substantially increase the number of medical students," he said.

"Scotland clearly does need more trained doctors, but who is going to educate them if this drop in medical academics is not reversed?"

'Attractive option'

Dr Irvine said the country had a deservedly high reputation for the high quality of teaching and research in its medical schools.

But he warned: "We are concerned that this could be jeopardised if steps are not taken to ensure that a career in academic medicine remains an attractive option for doctors in training.

"The executive must take immediate action to ensure that there are enough teachers in our medical schools. Without them, it will be impossible to teach the doctors of the future and provide Scotland with the medical workforce it needs."

Ministers are legally prohibited from interfering with internal management issues like this Andy Kerr Health Minister

Health Minister Andy Kerr said there were more doctors in training than ever before.

"Staffing levels for medical schools aren't set by the executive - they're part of the standards laid down by the UK General Medical Council," he said.

"Within those standards, the medical schools manage their own staff levels.

"Ministers are legally prohibited from interfering with internal management issues like this."

'Juggling jobs'

However, he said the executive did monitor staff to student ratios to ensure that schools provided the highest standards of training.

The Scottish National Party said it shared the BMA's concerns over medical academic staffing levels.

SNP health spokeswoman Shona Robison said: "One of the main problems is that academic staff are effectively being asked to work two full-time jobs and juggle both clinical and academic work.

"These staff must be given the time and ability to both teach and carry out clinical work."