Senior doctors have warned a quarter of Scots could face second-class medical care if plans for major new trauma centres are scrapped.

When former health secretary Alex Neil announced plans for a network of four Major Trauma Centres at Scottish hospitals in 2014, he said the facilities could help save 40 lives a year.

But 50 medics have now signed an open letter expressing concerns that units in Aberdeen and Dundee may never be built.

Facilities in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee were expected to open by the end of this year, but a review published in late 2015 cast doubt on the need for centres outside the central belt.

In an open letter, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary medics said: "The plans for two centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow would appear to leave 25% of the Scottish population, including the people of Grampian, with a second-class service.

"Our resources and ability to recruit staff to care properly for seriously injured patients will be in jeopardy. We are deeply worried that a solution for the central belt of Scotland will leave the rest of Scotland out in the cold."

But a spokeswoman for NHS Grampian insisted plans for an Aberdeen-based trauma centre are still on track.

She added: "We fully recognise and understand the strength of feeling about Aberdeen Royal Infirmary being a Major Trauma Centre in a north of Scotland network.

"NHS Grampian's position has been quite clear - over the last 18 months we have been preparing to be a trauma centre with the full support of the board.

"Our clinicians and managers are participating fully in the work of the National Planning Forum. We look forward to the outcome of the National Planning Forum's (NPF) review."

The results of the NPF's review is set to be published after May's election.