A hospital consultant was flown in from Jamaica by NHS bosses as the battle to tackle an ongoing staffing crisis at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) continues.
The temporary cover was arranged as the north east hospital was left without a top anaesthetist.
Figures show that NHS Grampian paid £1,535 for the consultant’s return flight from Kingston to Aberdeen in June.
It follows a similar arrangement in August, when NHS Grampian paid more than £2,175 to fly in a consultant from India to cover a weekend shift in accident and emergency.
Patients leaders said something had gone “badly wrong” at NHS Grampian when such arrangements were being made. The news also puts further pressure on Health Secretary Alex Neil, who visits Aberdeen today to meet staff, patients and managers.
North-east Labour MSP Richard Baker said the board was having to go to “ludicrous lengths” to ensure safe levels of cover at ARI.
“We should not be in a situation where experts are having to bussed in from around the world so that safe levels of cover are in place.
He said: “Flying a consultant in from Jamaica just shows the extent of how deep that crisis goes and also how much it is costing the NHS Board.”
A spokesman for NHS Grampian said the consultant was hired for just over five weeks, from June 23 to August 1. Pay rates for the period started at £46 an hour and rose to £68 plus VAT.
The spokesman said the consultant had worked before at ARI, but could not confirm if he was a retired specialist who had relocated to the Caribbean.
The spokesman added: “He was known to the department and his economy flight ticket was paid as part of the agreement for securing his services.
“No accommodation costs were involved.
“Locum doctors are a necessary expense for any NHS board.
“They provide vital support to our full time staff complement and when vacancies arise in the medical staff group locum or agency doctors are used to ensure continuity of service while we recruit.
“Using locum doctors ensures that we can continue to provide a service to our patients while filling essential medical vacancies.”
He said that around 500 consultants are employed in Grampian at any one time and that some vacancies were to be expected. The health board was unable to confirm if the vacancy has since been filled.
A lack of Scottish Government funding for the health service and the north east has been blamed for the recruitment issues.
However, high living costs in Aberdeen and a shortage of consultants in some areas, including A&E and anesthesia, are also at play.
Mr Neil’s visit today comes during a turbulent spell for the board, which will lose chief executive Richard Carey and chairman Bill Howatson in coming weeks.
A new medical director, Dr Nick Fluck, is also in place.
Dr Jean Turner, executive director of Scottish Patients Association, said: “We have got ourselves into a dreadful situation in Grampian.
“It would appear that something has been badly wrong with management for a long time.
“I know there are difficulties with recruitment all over but I just can’t imagine why Aberdeen, the oil capital of the UK, has such difficulties.”