The cost of locum doctors in the Scottish NHS has almost doubled over the past four years to more than £36m, according to Scottish government figures.
Health boards spent £19.5m on the service in 2006-07, increasing to £36.8m in 2009-10.
NHS Greater Glasgow recorded the highest bill, with £7.2m spent on locum doctors in 2009-10 - up from £1.6m in 2006-07, while Lothian spent nearly £5m on locum doctors last year, almost five times that spent in 2006-07.
Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie described the figures as “shocking” and called on the government to investigate why health boards are spending so much more money.
She said: “In the current economic climate I am concerned that these costs are not sustainable.
“When the soaring cost of locum doctors is set alongside the high number of cancelled operations and the fall in the number of hospital beds that has taken place in the past four years, it suggests that the SNP have been poor stewards of the NHS.”
A Scottish government spokeswoman said health boards had reduced medical agency costs by £3m in the past quarter.
She added: “We expect to see further savings through the introduction of ‘doctor banks’ - a bank of NHS recruited doctors who will be used to supplement staffing rotas, where needed.
“As has been seen with nurse banks, NHS doctor banks will ensure high-quality, safe and effective care for patients and better value for money.
“Using the nurse bank has saved the NHS over £19m since it was created and we expect to see significant savings from the doctor bank too.”
Health boards were given guidance on action to reduce the demand for supplementary medical staff in February.
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