A much-trumpeted government “golden hello” to attract GPs to the north of Scotland is only available to five trainees.
The £20,000 bursary – designed to encourage family doctors to work in rural areas – is offered for just two posts in NHS Highland and three in NHS Grampian.
The incentive has been touted by SNP ministers as an example of their efforts to end the GP crisis in north and north-east Scotland.
But Highlands and Islands MSP David Stewart said he was “very disappointed” the bursary was available to so few trainees in the region.
Health Secretary Shona Robison insisted the government was investing to support rural GP services.
But Mr Stewart said: “While this development of the trainee scheme is a step in the right direction, I am very disappointed with the number of bursary posts available in our area, given the difficulty in finding GPs for many of our remote, rural areas.”
He said he had visited local practices struggling with recruitment.
He added: “These are the problems being faced in our communities today. I realise it is a complex issue to solve but attracting more trainees would be part of the battle.”
The Press and Journal recently revealed that qualified students keen to study medicine were being turned away from Aberdeen University because of the cap on places to maintain the SNP’s policy of free tuition.
Patients across the north and north-east have also reported difficulties securing appointments at GP surgeries.
The scheme will offer the one-off bursary of £20,000 to GP trainees committed to working in one of 37 posts across Scotland in areas that have in the past proven difficult to recruit to.
NHS Highland said it welcomed the additional funding from the Scottish Government.
Ms Robison said Scotland had the highest number of family doctors per head of population in the UK.
She added: “The 100 additional GP training posts is one of a number of initiatives to encourage trainee doctors into general practice, and to make general practice a more attractive option.
“We are also funding initiatives to encourage established GPs to return to practice.
“We are continuously looking at how we can support and improve primary care and GP services.
“We are investing £85million over three years to put in place long-term, sustainable change within primary care that can better meet changing needs and demands, including support for recruitment and retention.”
