THE SNP has called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to boost NHS spending by £16 billion, which would deliver an extra £1.6bn to the Scottish budget.

The party’s Westminster health spokesman Sean Logan argues the Barnett consequentials from such a boost would be ploughed into the Scottish NHS.

The Scottish government faces a spending gap of £1bn this year growing to £1.9bn by 2027-28, but has so far favoured swingeing cuts to services to close it rather than implement STUC plans to use devolved tax powers to net an extra £3.7bn a year.