A RURAL health board that has failed to recruit a permanent consultant for two years has been condemned for "lacking imagination" and issuing "downbeat press releases".

The criticism followed at statement posted on the NHS Highland website warning that Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership is facing "ongoing significant challenges" with recruitment. It added that Lorn and Islands Hospital's reliance on expensive locum consultants is "not sustainable."

The statement stressed that all three rural hospitals in the region - Caithness General in Wick, Belford Hospital in Fort William and Lorn and Islands Hospital in Oban - have "struggled to recruit and retain consultants for a number of years". In Oban, a vacancy for a permanent medical consultant has been filled by a locum for two years, while posts for one full-time and one part-time surgical consultant are also being filled by locums which was described as "not ideal in the long-term and much more expensive".

It comes as the bill for locums across NHS Scotland hit a record high of more than £100 million a year. It also emerged last week that NHS Highland has 357 vacancies, more than any other Scottish health board.

To meet its full quota of doctors, the Lorn & Islands Hospital should employ three permanent medical consultant posts and three permanent surgical consultant at any one time, but the rural setting was blamed for deterring applicants.

Dr Peter Thorpe, consultant radiologist and clinical lead for Lorn and Islands Hospital, said: “My colleagues and I are very proud of the fact that we provide a wide range of services within the hospital and that many of our patients can be seen in Oban and don’t have to travel out with the area for treatment.

“However, we continue to face serious challenges in recruiting consultants to work within the hospital. We have been advertising a number of posts for a significant period of time without any success.

"This is in no small part due to the shortage of consultants able or willing to work in a Rural General Hospital setting."

Dr Thorpe added that the posts are still being advertised but that some clinics "may be subject to change" until a solution could be found.

However, Argyll MSP Michael Russell criticised the group's lack of imagination.

Mr Russell said: "There are many possible ways to recruit and to develop services in Oban which are being operated in other places. We need to see some imagination and determination from the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) not just more downbeat press releases about difficulties.

"I am keen to support the HSCP in getting this right but in the basis of providing a good community hospital which provides what the community wants. That must be our shared ambition in Argyll."

The Lorn and Islands hospital is designated as a Rural General Hospital, with a remit to provide consultant led inpatient and outpatient services.

Dr Rod Harvey, Medical Director for NHS Highland, said: "The fundamental problem is that our workforce has changed markedly and we simply can’t attract enough consultants to work in NHS Highland and this means we will need to change the way we deliver some services.”