Health board spent £2.9m on taxi fares

The figures showed that the local health board had the country’s second biggest taxi bill in that period, with NHS Greater Glasgow spending £5 million on taxis.

The majority of the money spent by the local NHS was used to pay for patients’ fares, with £527,000 going on taxis for staff.

In total, NHS boards across Scotland spent £14 million on fares.

Robert Oxley, of the TaxPayers Alliance, said: “Health chiefs need to cut down on cab rides that represent poor value for money.”

And MSP Gavin Brown, the Scottish Conservative finance spokesman, added: “Every health board has to make sure that they are 100 per cent sure each taxi is needed.”