MILLIONS of pounds have been set aside to help NHS staff cope with the “particular pressures” of winter.

Services in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which covers Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire, will be handed more than £2million.

It is hoped the extra funding – part of an overall £10m payout for the NHS in Scotland – will ensure appropriate levels of staff are on duty so that patients are cared for at the right place at the right time.

In addition, cash will go towards ensuring those who are well enough to leave hospital can be discharged at weekends and over holiday periods.

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

“Our £10million 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.”

The cash matches the additional £10m awarded by the Scottish Government to the NHS last winter.

While NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will receive the biggest award, amounting to almost £2.14m, NHS chiefs in Lothian are to get more than £1.4m.

There is also £200,000 for NHS 24 and a further £200,000 for the Scottish Ambulance Service.