This psychiatrist says there’s a crisis in Scotland yet we have nearly 50% more psychiatrists than in England’s presumable hyper-super-crisis

Thanks to Dottie, once more, for this:

From BBC Scotland this morning:

The cost of bringing in locum psychiatrists on emergency contracts to treat mental health patients in Scotland has soared, according to new figures. Dr Jane Morris, chairwoman of the RCP, said the increased cost of the reliance on locums was “stark and very concerning”. She said: “I think the whole agency locum question is a reflection of a real crisis in the Scottish psychiatric workforce. There simply aren’t enough of us. The number of whole-time equivalent NHS psychiatrists has dropped from 781 in March 2019 to 651 in March this year.

With 10 times the population, even to match the Scottish ‘crisis’, NHS England would need 6 510.

There were only 4 466.

So, NHS Scotland has 2 044 more, 46% (of 4 466) more, per head.

Source:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/news-and-features/latest-news/detail/2023/05/25/royal-college-of-psychiatrists-calls-for-urgent-publication-of-nhs-workforce-plan-as-psychiatrist-numbers-stagnate

6 thoughts on “This psychiatrist says there’s a crisis in Scotland yet we have nearly 50% more psychiatrists than in England’s presumable hyper-super-crisis”

  1. This probably belongs on the previous thread but here goes anyway. I think mental health like many other problems requiring medical intervention have a cause and therefore an effect, mental or physical illness.The 2021 Scottish Health Survey is a good source of statistics particularly regarding mental health and it is clearly linked to poverty. Our feeling of wellbeing is being is being driven down, I would say deliberately, not only by poverty but also by the diet of negativity fed to us deliberately by our media. You won’t hear or see this reported because the root cause privates in westmister.

    https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-health-survey-2021-volume-1-main-report/pages/7/

    Golfnut

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    1. I think what you have written is broadly correct and I think, probably, Dr Morris would agree.

      However, she is speaking in her role as a senior trade union officer, and not as an objective clinician, she is arguing for more investment in psychiatric services – which entails employing more psychiatrists, trying more and paying them more as well as improving ancillary staff and services. This is something with which I would probably agree. But, I also think that there is a very wide range of public services from street sweeping, to street lighting repairs, to carers, etc that require significant public investment after years of corrupt and mendacious austerity.

      I suspect she probably would agree with my last paragraph.

      However, BBC Scotland is, undoubtedly, using her as part of its continuous attritional narrative, ‘that Scots are incapable of running things for themselves’.

      Again, I suspect she is aware that her statements will be edited and used in that way. But as a trade unionist she is taking the opportunity to present her union’s case.

      Alasdair Macdonal.

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      1. I don’t disagree with you Alasdair which is why I refrained from including her in my comment. I provided the link to the report which I hope helps to inform why mental health has become such a recurring issue and of course a political football used by the dishonest and unscrupulous.

        Golfnut

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  3. ‘BBC Scotland is, undoubtedly, using her as part of its continuous attritional narrative, ‘that Scots are incapable of running things for themselves’.

    I’m inclined to check out – for comparison and useful learning – how capable the British Labour Party, long in government in Cardiff, have proven itself to be in running NHS Wales. After all, we in Scotland need to know what might be ahead of us in 2026!

    For example, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) released its latest NHS Wales Workforce Trends Report (as at 31 March 2023) on July 25, 2024 – see https://heiw.nhs.wales/news/heiw-releases-latest-nhs-wales-workforce-trends-report/ . Here are some notable insights around the use and cost of agency and locum staff.

    ‘3.3. Agency & Locum Trends
    ‘Agency and locum staff are usually deployed when substantive and bank options have been exhausted.’

    ‘Since April 2018/19 the overall growth in agency and locum spend is 126%, increasing from £144 million to £325 million. Agency and locum spend has increased from the previous year, every year. The biggest percentage increase can be seen in 2021/22 (36% increase). Between 2021/22 and 2022/23 agency and locum spend increased by 20% from £271 million to £325 million.

    ‘3.4. Agency and Locum Spend by Staff Group
    ‘On the total agency and locum spend by staff group for 2018/19 and 2022/23: ‘The highest proportion of Agency and Locum spend
    relates to the Nursing and Midwifery and Medical and Dental staff groups. Nursing and Midwifery accounts for the biggest locum and agency spend and has seen a significant increase from £65 million in 2018/19 to £156 million’ (in 2022/23).

    How could such increases in agency and locum usage and costs occur to such an extent under a British Labour Party government? Perhaps to quote from the BBC Scotland report that prompted the main blog post: ‘the increased cost of the reliance on locums is stark and very concerning. I think the whole agency locum question is a reflection of a real crisis in the Welsh NHS workforce!’

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