COMPLAINTS and concerns about the current state of the NHS make up a substantial and growing part of the casework I deal with for constituents.

Some people describe struggling to access an appointment with their GP, while many others report facing long waits for treatment or operations.

It is increasingly clear that these problems exist largely because of the way the Scottish Government has failed to allocate NHS funding fairly. This was confirmed by recent official figures that revealed NHS Lothian received over £425 million less than it should have over the past 15 years.

The National Resource Allocation formula is currently used to calculate how NHS funding should be distributed across the country. It considers the local population, its age and sex, different life circumstances and the additional costs associated with the provision of healthcare in more remote areas. However, the latest figures demonstrate that the Scottish Government has been short-changing many NHS boards, while others have received significant extra resources, despite their declining populations.

Confirmation of the huge discrepancies in funding allocation has been highlighted as health boards across the country are having to make a range of devastating cuts to local services. NHS Lothian alone is facing a £133m gap in funding this year, equivalent to seven per cent of its total annual budget.

This is having a direct impact on health services across the Lothians. Here in East Lothian, we are losing important local services because NHS Lothian has been starved of the funding it needs to support health provision for a rapidly growing population. This is unfair and unacceptable.

I believe ministers should take a serious look at the way NHS funds are allocated and the current parity of funding. They must ensure that patients across the country have equitable access to the services and treatment they need, and it must include fair funding for East Lothian and the rest of the NHS Lothian area.