PATIENTS suffering from crippling brain disorders including multiple sclerosis are facing longer waits in Glasgow because of a shortage of specialists.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has said it may be forced to recruit doctors from overseas because it is struggling to fill vacancies.

The board currently has four vacancies for neurologists, which it has been unable to fill.

Neurologists care for patients with disorders of the nervous system, including the brain, such as motor neurone disease, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.

They also deal with neurological emergencies including stroke and meningitis.

Figures show staff shortages in Greater Glasgow are impacting on patient waiting times. The board said 26 patients were waiting longer than that national waiting times target of three months to see a specialist in November last year.

Scotland is facing a national shortage of neurologists with around 50 for a population of 5 million people. One in six people has a neurological condition.

NHSGGC said the situation would be exacerbated by the retiral of a neurological consultant in April.

A spokeswoman for NHSGGC said: "There is difficulty filling neurology posts at a national level.

"As a result, we're currently working to recruit four posts for the West of Scotland in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Ayrshire & Arran.

"We're currently discussing with the Scottish Government the option of recruiting from abroad."

The board said it had also boosted

Recent figures showed vacancies for consultants in the Scottish NHS are currently running at the highest level for six years, with almost one in 20 jobs unfilled.