New workforce census reveals a quarter of Scotland’s consultant psychiatrist posts not permanently filled

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Scotland’s most senior psychiatrists have warned of a 'worrying' workforce trend in mental health services, as new data reveals a quarter of consultant posts are not permanently filled.

The RCPsych workforce census, published this week, shows that at the end of March 2025 there were 642 consultant psychiatrist posts across Scotland.

But while most posts are filled, more than a quarter are either vacant or only covered by locum staff.

Although official vacancy numbers appear slightly better than in previous years, the true vacancy rate of 28% shows the real scale of the problem as it counts both empty posts and those only filled temporarily – highlighting how many jobs don’t have permanent staff in place.

The report highlights the situation to be particularly serious in the north of Scotland, where nearly half (45%) of consultant posts are empty or filled by locum staff, raising concerns about unequal access to specialist mental health care depending on where people live.

There are similar pressures in other senior psychiatry roles with around one in nine speciality and associate specialist posts either vacant or not permanently filled.

And with general adult services making up 45% of patients in mental health services,  there are concerns as members report these services to be chronically under prioritised, under resourced and understaffed. 

The findings come from a survey completed by 11 out of 14 health boards alongside specialist organisations including The State Hospital and the Mental Welfare Commission.

Commenting on the findings Dr Jane Morris, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said:

“We’ve been warning for years that Scotland is struggling to retain experienced psychiatrists. This latest data shows that the problem is not improving – and in some areas it is getting worse.

“Behind these figures are overstretched teams, longer waits for patients and a growing pressure on clinicians. 

“Despite repeated warnings in successive workforce censuses, we are continuing to lose experienced consultant psychiatrists from Scotland’s services.

“The regional variation is particularly alarming as this has real implications for patient care and for the clinicians working under sustained pressure.

“We cannot afford to let this trend continue. Without focused investment and workforce planning, services – particularly general adult psychiatry – will remain under severe strain.”