£10 million is to be invested in Scotland’s health and care services due to the extra pressure placed on the service during winter.

This is in addition to the £6.3 million for unscheduled care.

The money which will go to local Boards will see Orkney receive an extra £46,000.

Announcing the extra funding, Jeane Freeman, Health Secretary in the Scottish Government  said:

“Winter creates particular pressures on our health and social care system, so it’s important that we are well prepared.

“Our £10 million investment will support boards as well as health and social care to put appropriate steps in place – particularly to make sure people are discharged in a timely way when it’s safe to do so, and that the right staff are in place throughout the system.

“However, this requires more than just investment – we need strong leadership and collaborative working across the whole system to ensure people are getting the right help in the right place.

“We are already seeing examples of integration making a difference and we are focused on increasing the pace of this across Scotland.”