Almost 23,000 unfilled shifts at NHS Ayrshire

Concerns raised that healthboard staff could be facing burnout

- STEPHEN BARK

Almost 23,000 shifts at NHS Ayrshire and Arran went unfilled last year, prompting fears that staff are facing burnout.

Figures obtained under freedom of information legislation revealed that there were 22,943 unfilled doctor, nurse and midwife shifts during 2024.

Across Scotland, more than 300,000 shifts were left unfilled last year.

South Scotland MSP, Carol Mochan, has warned that NHS staff face burnout and patients are at risk as a result of poor NHS workforce planning by the Scottish Government.

She said that the figures pointed to the scale of the NHS workforce crisis and add to the warnings already made by nurses and doctors that understaffing is leading to burnout and reducing patient safety.