The Scottish Government health secretary has insisted health professionals will want to work at the new trauma centre at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary when it opens.
Last year agency staff in NHS Grampian carried out more than a million hours of work as a result of shortages.
But Shona Robison has claimed the new facility, due to be opened by 2018, would be “a very attractive proposition”.
She said: “There are challenges recruiting to Aberdeen that are long-standing but these are major trauma centres so they will attract specialists.
“People wanting to work in these areas will find the major trauma centres a very attractive proposition.”
A similar facility will be built in Dundee at the same time and another two are due to open in Edinburgh and Glasgow by 2020.
Ms Robison added: “My instinct is that all four centres will see staff gravitate towards them because they will be able to enhance their skills.”
The full cost of the project will not be revealed for another nine months.
Ms Robison said: “We have set up a £30million budget, which I don’t think is an unreasonable estimate.
“There is still important work to be done around the cost and phasing of the project.
“We have put £5million up this year to get momentum going, particularly around the ambulance service, but some of that is for work going on in Aberdeen and Dundee.”
North-east MSP Lewis Macdonald agreed that the trauma centre would attract staff, but also said more had to be done in the short term before it arrives.
“I agree with Shona Robison that it will improve recruitment.
“If you’re an up and coming health professional you will want to work in a hospital with a trauma centre.
“However, we were promised this in 2016 and now it’s not going to be delivered until at least 2018.
“I wrote to Shona Robison last week pointing to the number of operations that have been cancelled in NHS Grampian this year.
“The government really has to take urgent action to address the situation.
“We do not want to get to the end of March with a build-up of cancelled operations.”
