Doctors have called on the Scottish Government to "ramp up" efforts to fill consultant vacancies, as figures reveal that a growing number of recruitment drives are being abandoned due to a lack of applicants.
The problem was particularly stark in rural and island hospitals, according to research by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland - also known as the Scottish Academy.
Data shows that there were 733 appointment panels convened for consultant posts in Scotland during 2022.
These panels are responsible for attracting, interviewing and appointing doctors to NHS roles.
READ MORE: Warning over 'dangerous' shortage of doctors in rural Scotland
However, Scottish Academy data shows that a total of 306 panels were ultimately cancelled in 2022.
That is an increase of 102 compared to 2018.
Of these, 271 (88%) were cancelled for applicant reasons - mostly no applications - while a further 53 were cancelled because there were no suitable candidates.
In addition, 24 candidates withdrew from the process.
Broken down by health board region, the data reveals that all six panels convened for consultant vacancies in NHS Western Isles were cancelled, and four out of six were scrapped in NHS Shetland.
In NHS Highland, 36 panel were cancelled out of the 57 convened, and in NHS Borders the figure was 12 out of 19.
Recruitment was less challenging for the major urban boards including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC), where 44 appointment panels were cancelled from a total of 151, while in NHS Lothian there were 35 cancellations out of 101.
Professor Andrew Elder, president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said: “These figures will be of serious concern to people living in remote and rural areas particularly, especially the Highlands and Islands.
"The recruitment of doctors in these areas has been more difficult for some years.
"But given the already high existing number of vacancies, the lack of suitably qualified professionals applying to fill them now creates significant challenges.
“While the challenges in remote and rural areas are greatest, it should be noted that there is a shortage of consultants - across many different medical specialties - throughout the country, including in the central belt."
READ MORE: Medic blames NHS 'dysfunction' for doctor exodus
Prof Elder added that short and medium term options should be "fully explored" to enable Scotland to attract more fully trained doctors, including issues around the workplace environment and job planning.
"We must establish why some consultant posts consistently attract no applicants at all, and work to rectify local issues that contribute to this trend," said Prof Elder.
It comes after BMA Scotland warned that patients in rural areas were facing a "dangerous" shortage of doctors, with consultant vacancy rates ranging from 30 per 100,000 people in Highland to 41 per 100,000 in Western Isles compared to a low of 3.3 per 100,000 in NHS GGC.
Meanwhile, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Scotland has raised concerns over a slump in university applications to nursing courses.
UCAS figures show that 6,450 applicants sought a place on Scottish courses in the 12 months to June 30, down 19% from 7,930 in 2022 and from a peak of 9,010 in 2021.
READ MORE: Shetland islander named Scotland's first 'nurse of the year'
The number signing up to study nursing at this point in the UCAS cycle is also below the pre-pandemic number of 7,290 applicants from 2019.
RCN Scotland's director, Colin Poolman, said: "This significant drop in applications to nursing courses in Scotland is a real cause for concern amid the stubbornly high registered nurse vacancy rates and ongoing workforce challenges which are compromising patient safety and the wellbeing of staff."
A Scottish Government spokesman said eligible students have access to the highest non-repayable, non-means tested bursary support in the UK, at £10,000, plus reimbursement of expenses and a range of allowances.
He said: "We value our student nurses and midwives and that is why they receive the highest student bursary in Scotland."
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