NHS gets share of £50 million fund to help cut health waiting times in area

The NHS in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and across Lanarkshire is set to benefit from a share of a £50 million investment to help deliver swift treatment and diagnostics.

The extra funding is part of a package of measures to help reduce waiting times – which will also see two independent diagnostic leads appointed to improve co-ordination across Scotland on specialist tests.

Health boards will receive an initial share of £25 million to target a number of specialities, including neurology, orthopaedics and diagnostics, to help deliver swift treatment.

A further £25 million will be made available later in the year to help support areas to build upon improvements in services through the work health boards are doing with the Scottish Access Collaborative.

Rutherglen SNP MSP Clare Haughey said:“The staff of Scotland’s NHS do a fantastic job day in day out.

“This funding boost will support a package of measures to help further improve performance across Glasgow and Lanarkshire, including new independent experts being appointed to speed up diagnostic tests.

“The Scottish Government has already committed to invest an extra £2 billion above inflation by the end of this parliament – the highest funding offer of any party at the last election – and we already invest more in our NHS per head of population than anywhere else in the UK, supporting frontline health services.

“That’s one of the reasons why Scotland’s A&E’s continue to have the best performance of anywhere in the UK for the last three years.”