Scotland's mental health services are nearing breaking point, facing severe staff shortages, leading to a significant rise in reliance on costly locum psychiatrists. This reliance reflects a deeper workforce crisis, particularly in adult psychiatry, where vacancy rates hover around 25%.
The financial burden of hiring locum psychiatrists has surged dramatically, with annual spending on locums in Scotland's 14 health boards climbing to nearly 35 million last year, up from 20 million just five years ago.
Dr. Jane Morris highlights the impact of agency locums on NHS consultants' workload, stating that increasing pressure is leading to resignations and exacerbating the already critical shortage of qualified psychiatrists.
Private health care companies, some owned by billionaires, are capitalizing on this crisis, charging exorbitant rates for locum services, further straining the mental health services already at their limit.
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