MORE than £50m has been spent on private services by health bosses in Glasgow in the last three years.

Official figures show Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board spent £53m since 2015.

The figure accounts for more than one third of the Scottish total of £130m for the period.

The health board said the “private sector” spend covers voluntary sector and a range of services.

The figures Scotland’s health boards were obtained by Scottish Labour who said it showed that the Scottish Government needed to staff the NHS more effectively.

Greater Glasgow, the largest board, had the highest private sector spend followed by Lanarkshire with £17m and Grampian at £16m.

The Scottish total of £130.8m will be higher as there were no figures supplied for Lothian and Highland boards.

Monica Lennon, Labour’s Health spokeswoman, said: “Health boards are already feeling the pressure because SNP ministers have failed to provide our hospitals with the right number of doctors and nurses, so they have to turn to expensive private providers to hit targets the government set them.

“The NHS is our most valued public service – taxpayers don’t want the health service used as a cash cow for private companies.

“But the only way to cut this private spending is to ensure our health service has the staff it needs, with the time to deliver the care patients deserve.”

A spokeswoman for the health board said: “NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is by far Scotland’s largest health board covering more than a quarter of the country’s population. 

“It is important to stress that the term ‘private sector’ includes spending for a whole range of services we pay to be provided by third and voluntary sector organisation, hospices such as St Margaret’s Hospice, Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, Accord Hospice, Ardgowan Hospice, Marie Curie Cancer Care, St Vincent’s Hospice, Robin House and Rachel House.

“This also includes specialist child and adult care, addiction services and mental health support."

She added: “Over the last three years this spending equates to 0.5 per cent of our overall budget and is proportionate against the national total.”