MORE than 200 training jobs for GPs and hospital specialists in Scotland were left empty after a major national recruitment drive despite a rise in applications from junior doctors.

The Scottish Government trumpeted increases in the number of young medics seeking to start their career in the Scottish health service this summer.

But more than a quarter of training places in GP surgeries were left unfilled, a larger proportion than in 2015 when a fifth remained vacant.

Vital areas of hospital medicine also struggled to attract doctors to the most advanced stages of specialist training.

In emergency medicine just five out 16 vacancies were filled. Fewer than half the training jobs for acute internal medicine, a rapidly growing specialism which cares for many elderly patients, were taken and nine out of 19 places for junior doctors to train as cancer specialists (clinical oncologists) remained empty.

This left 22 per cent of training posts in clinical oncology in Scotland vacant.

Dr Alistair Douglas, president of the Society for Acute Medicine Scotland and a consultant in Tayside, said the country had not benefited from a long-running dispute between junior doctors in England over the terms of a new contract.

Junior doctors in England are engaged in a protracted dispute with the Westminster health secretary over the terms of a new contract which is not being imposed in Scotland. But Dr Douglas said: “It was probably over optimistic to say they would all up sticks and move north. You have to remember junior doctors will apply for multiple posts. We (in acute medicine) also had more applications this year, but that did not convert into jobs.”

Dr Douglas said five years ago all posts for junior doctors to train as consultants in hospital medicine would be filled, but this had changed UK-wide. During their first years on the frontline of the NHS after graduation, he said, up to 30 per cent of junior doctors were quitting.

It is thought some trainees leave to seek a better work life balance and Dr Douglas said there is a perception that medical jobs in Australia and New Zealand offer less onerous hours. Acute medicine, along with emergency medicine, are considered to be among the most unpopular specialties because they require doctors to work evenings and weekends long term.

More training positions were advertised in Scotland this year than in 2015 including an extra 39 advanced hospital training posts and an extra 34 GP places. More junior doctors also accepted jobs in the Scottish NHS. Overall there were 210 posts left vacant at the end of the 2016 recruitment round, compared to 190 the previous year.

The Scottish Government has recently made a fresh attempt to recruit trainee GPs offering a golden hello worth up to £20,000 for those prepared to work in remote communities.

Dr Miles Mack, chair of Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland, said: “Attracting trainees to general practice in Scotland continues to be difficult and interventions so far made by Scottish Government have yet to filter through to grassroots GPs.

He said there needs to be an ‘immediate and clear commitment’ to adequately fund the service in the draft Budget.”There is much more to be done, starting with the provision of adequate funding through the coming Draft Budget. There must be an immediate and clear commitment to adequately fund the service.”

Dr Chris Sheridan, chair of British Medical Association Scottish Junior Doctors Committee, said: “Unfilled trainee posts means that we will face further challenges in replacing retiring consultants and GPs down the line, so it is absolutely critical that every effort is made to encourage as many junior doctors as possible to train and settle in Scotland.”

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has taken a number of steps to encourage junior doctors to work and stay in the Scottish NHS. They have a a network of medical ambassadors who promote work of junior doctors in the Scottish NHS. It also uses social media and careers events to encourage junior doctors to come north for their speciality training.

A government spokesman said: “We’re committed to making sure our NHS is equipped for the future and that’s why we’re increasing the NHS revenue budget by £500 million more than inflation by the end of this parliament.

“While Scotland continues to have the highest number of GPs per patient in the UK, we have confirmed an extra 100 GP training places to encourage more medical students into the profession, and an increase in support for schemes that bring experienced GPs back into the health service.

“We have also allocated £20 million over the next year to ease some of the immediate challenges facing the workforce and will continue our work with the profession to negotiate a new GP contract for 2017.”