NHS Scotland embarks on global radiologist search

A global campaign to attract radiologists to work in the Scottish NHS has been launched.

Nine health boards, including NHS Fife, Grampian and Greater Glasgow and Clyde, have 32 vacancies which they have struggled to fill.

Radiologists specialise in diagnosing and treating diseases such as cancer using medical imagery.

NHS Scotland will take its recruitment drive to India, the US, Canada, western Europe and Australia.

The service has already unveiled plans to invest £4m in a "radiology transformation programme" to improve patient services and increase the number of specialist radiology training places.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "The campaign highlights the benefits of living in Scotland and working for our NHS, and it demonstrates our commitment to a vibrant, dynamic and outward-looking health service, staffed by some of the very best clinicians from around the world.

"We are determined to recruit and retain the best and the brightest in order to deliver sustainable health services for the people of Scotland."

Dr Grant Baxter, Scotland lead at The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), said: "The RCR fully supports this much-needed international drive to boost radiologist numbers.

"Overseas radiologists tell us they love working in the UK because of the camaraderie, clinical and learning opportunities they are exposed to in the NHS and the Scottish health system has a lot to offer incoming doctors."

The health boards taking part in the recruitment campaign are NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Forth Valley , NHS Fife, NHS Grampian, NHS Highland and NHS Tayside.