Scottish NHS Faces Crisis with Soaring Costs for Locum Psychiatrists

Rising dependency on temporary psychiatrists highlights severe staff shortages, impacting mental health care quality and costs.

Spending on locum psychiatrists in Scotland has nearly doubled in five years, reaching £34.8 million last year.
The shortage of permanent psychiatrists has led to increased reliance on expensive emergency contracts for locums.
Patients report dissatisfaction with inconsistent care from locum psychiatrists, citing repeated experiences of having to retell their histories.
Some locum psychiatrists lack full qualifications, raising concerns about the quality of care provided.
Scottish government and NHS executives are working to address recruitment and retention issues in the psychiatric workforce.