Patients seeking urgent and unplanned care will be able to ask for it to be delivered at their home as part of efforts to reduce hospital waiting times.

Services in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are to benefit from more than £50million being delivered by the Scottish Government to health boards across the country this financial year to help them adopt a new “improvement programme.”

This will include offering patients alternatives to hospital-based care.

Patients seeking emergency care will also be offered scheduled appointments to avoid a long wait at Accident and Emergency.

Efforts are also being made to simplify the process of patients being discharged from hospitals.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “It is absolutely critical we ensure people are receiving the right care at the right time and in the right place.

“Our twin approach of investment and reform in urgent and unscheduled care will help our boards see people who need urgent attention more quickly.

“For many, A&E may not be the best place for their healthcare needs and our £50million improvement programme will offer patients alternative routes to urgent care.”