Patients in back yard of the new Health Secretary face savage cuts to their services

better than this.” The full extent of the cuts are contained in a presentation seen by the Record. It says the £112.5million is the same as 60 per cent of an acute hospital’s annual budget.

It is also 75 times the annual costs of nursing and supplies for one ward, or 1.5 times the three acute hospitals’ annual drugs spend.

Another part of the paper reveals rising costs since 2019 which have contributed to the financial headache.

Hospital drug costs are up 46 per cent, energy costs have soared by 103 per cent and acute nurse agency costs have ballooned by 782 per cent.

Projected cost rises for next year include an 8.6 per cent rise in hospital drugs.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher MSP said: “Health boards are beyond breaking point and the effects on suffering patients and dedicated staff will be devastating if they are not given the resources they need.”

Gray responded: “We are providing over £14.2billion for NHS boards in 2024-25 to support services, a real terms increase of almost 3 per cent.

“This comes against the backdrop of the UK Government’s autumn statement which set out a real terms cut for NHS England for 2024-25, with only £10.8 million of additional consequentials derived from health spending – equivalent to just 0.06 per cent of Scotland’s health budget.”

Laura Ace, NHS Lanarkshire director of finance, said: “While we are working to break even this year, we know we face a very difficult financial position in 2024-25.

“We will now work with our staff and stakeholders to ensure we transform and reform our services to provide the best possible care for the people of Lanarkshire within the resources we have.”