THE SNP have “let our NHS crumble” with a maintenance backlog of over £1.5 billion, according to Scottish Labour.

Figures released to Labour from Scotland’s 14 territorial health boards show the full extent of the cash required to bring key assets such as building and systems back to standard.

One board alone, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, carries an eye-watering £673 million maintenance backlog, while NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside need to spend £123m and £124m respectively, and the nationwide total now runs to a staggering £1.5bn.

Calling the figures a “symbol of the SNP’s neglect of our entire NHS,” Scottish Labour health spokesperson Dame Jackie Baillie said: “The SNP has let our NHS crumble and patients and staff are paying the price.

“The SNP has let our most treasured institution decline and the consequences are clear — sky-high waiting lists, chaos in A&E, an 8am rush for a GP and rising reliance on private healthcare.

“The truth is if the SNP knew how to fix our NHS it would have done it by now.”

The Scottish government was contacted for comment.