By Marjory Inglis, health reporter

NHS TAYSIDE is losing the competition for staff to private companies who provide perks like cars.

Health bosses were told yesterday that there were “hot spots” in recruitment, particularly where higher salaries were paid for similar jobs in the private sector.

They were told business is paying pharmacists double what they can earn in the NHS, causing problems recruiting and keeping staff in the NHS.

The situation is so bad in pharmacy that an approach is to be made to the Scottish Government to allow “additional payments.”

One member of the NHS Tayside board even went so far as to suggest services were at risk if something was not done to meet the competition in the labour market.

“It is common practice in the private sector where you cannot recruit to look at premiums,” John Angus told a meeting of NHS Tayside’s staff governance committee in King’s Cross Hospital, Dundee.

“I would hate to think we would not do all we could to actually deliver the services we are required to deliver. It’s getting to the stage in some areas where that may be difficult.”

He said NHS Tayside could not meet the incentives provided to pharmacists by private organisations.

“Some even offer cars,” he said.

His colleague Ian Wightman said, “We cannot have a situation where pharmacy graduates choose the private sector because they pay almost double what we do in the NHS.”

Committee members were considering a 120-page report on workforce planning that tried to set out the recruitment crisis facing the NHS locally and nationally.

For some time health bosses have been concerned about the demographic time bomb that will see a vast portion of its workforce retiring over the next decade while at the same time the number of school leavers is shrinking.

Those involved in workforce planning are trying to find new ways to recruit and retain staff.

At the same time as available labour is shrinking, the numbers of older people are rising, creating greater demands on healthcare services from people more likely to have more than one chronic disease.

NHS Tayside’s acting head of human resources George Doherty said that some of what was being heard about recruitment on pharmacy was “anecdotal” and care should be taken not to “jump in” before the facts were established.

“We are looking to take forward a very professional business case (to the Scottish Government) for additional payments to meet our shortfall,” said Mr Doherty.

Debbie Donald, NHS Tayside’s head of strategic workforce development, said pharmacy was not the only “hot spot” with problems recruiting and keeping staff.

“There are other areas identified where we have to look at a sustainable level of services,” said Ms Donald.