AROUND 1,000 more consultants are needed in Scotland to improve outcomes for patients, the leader of the country's doctors has told The Scotsman.
Dr Peter Terry, chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said evidence showed patients did better under the care of consultants.
He said around 1,000 NHS posts occupied by junior doctors on fixed-term contracts could be converted
into consultant roles, with doctors trained up to take them on.
Speaking ahead of the BMA's annual conference, which starts on Monday in Edinburgh, Dr Terry also discussed the differences between the NHS in Scotland and England.
On staffing levels, he said it was clear more consultants were needed in Scotland as well as across the UK.
"There is emerging evidence that having consultants doing more secondary care work does improve outcomes," he said.
"In my speciality – obstetrics and gynaecology – that has been shown fairly conclusively.
"If you actually get consultants on the labour wards, the outcomes for mums and babies tend to be a bit better."
In March 2006, the Scottish Labour administration dropped an ambitious target to recruit an extra 600 consultants by September of that year.
It became clear the target, set in 2002, would not be met, with just over 350 extra specialists introduced in four years.
Consultant numbers have been rising in Scotland, from 2,871 in 1997 to 3,951 in 2008.
But Dr Terry said more consultants could be introduced using a "bulge" of junior doctors starting to come through the Modernising Medical Careers training programme.
The Scottish Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, said: "The number of medical consultants in Scotland has increased steadily for several years.
"Current consultant numbers already meet demands identified by NHS boards.
"We are also conducting a medical workforce review to ensure that supply continues to meet demand in the future."
Dr Terry admitted many of the issues discussed at the BMA's conference would address problems concerning England alone, such as the creation of so-called "polyclinics" offering a variety of services under one roof. The plans have met wide condemnation from doctors.
Dr Terry said reform of the NHS differed greatly between Scotland and England.
"We are just slowly evolving the service," he said.
"They are trying all sorts of organisational experiments. I think our way is better, and I think patients think that.
"The changes here are less extreme. We are all for change but as doctors we can be naturally conservative, because you don't try experiments on patients without having some idea about the outcome."
BACKGROUNDMUCH medical care in hospitals has historically been provided by junior doctors.
But most now believe consultants should be in the majority, leaving juniors to concentrate on their training.
The Modernising Medical Careers training programme for doctors has created a "bulge" of trainees who could be used to increase consultant numbers. Many find themselves in fixed-term speciality training appointments, providing a service at a relatively junior level.
But these doctors can find it hard to progress to a higher level. There are calls to increase consultant training posts for these trainees.
The full article contains 526 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
