The additional investment – allocated from £200m contained in the Budget to tackle waiting times, delayed discharge and improve hospital flow across the country – will support the recruitment of new nurses, anaesthetists and healthcare support workers.

This is expected to enable the centre to carry out around 8,418 procedures in the coming year – a 67% increase on the 5,054 commissioned by the Scottish Government last year. The increase in capacity will deliver procedures for patients in NHS Highland, NHS Grampian, NHS Tayside and NHS Shetland.

Health secretary Neil Gray said: ‘We know in the past too many people have waited too long for treatment, and the First Minister and I have set out a plan to change that. 

‘We will deliver more than 150,000 extra appointments nationally and procedures in the coming year to ensure people receive the care they need as quickly as possible – targeting the longest waiting patients and optimising the use of our National Treatment Centres to substantially increase capacity.'