Statistics revealed by ISD Scotland have shown there are 588 current vacancies for consultants, midwives and nurses in NHS Tayside, Fife and Forth Valley.
The number of consultant, nursing and allied health professional vacancies is up 5,6% from last year.
Conservative MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife has labelled these shortages concerning and has urged the health boards to do more to recruit the right levels of clinical staff.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“With health boards across Scotland struggling to fill nursing and clinical vacancies, patients throughout Mid-Scotland and Fife will be at risk of receiving poorer care.
“Ultimately, there is a shortage in the number of these professionals and we are clearly not training or retaining enough of these personnel in Scotland.
“The SNP has to realise that nurses and doctors are operating under extreme pressure and are calling out for more staff to help ease demand.
“Unfortunately leaving wards short of nurses will result in poorer care and it’s time the SNP took action to address this once and for all.”