DOCTORS in Scotland are stretching themselves to breaking point as staff shortages take their toll on the NHS, a health union warns.

The British Medical Association (BMA) made the claim after its snap survey of members showed a staggering 80 per cent of doctors believed staffing levels were unsafe either sometimes or regularly.

Only 1 per cent of the 610 respondents to the BMA poll believed that their department was “well-staffed” at present, 72 per cent believed the situation had deteriorated over the last two years and 62 per cent believed there were not enough doctors to meet this winter’s demands.