The Chancellor should use next week’s Budget to boost NHS spending by £15 billion, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has said.
Mr Flynn said such an increase would result in an additional £1.2 billion for Scottish health spending through Barnett consequentials.
On March 6, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver his Spring Budget to the House of Commons.
The SNP MP said the Scottish Government’s capital budget is facing a real terms cut of £1.6 billion, with Scotland’s capital spending power expected to shrink by 10% over the next five years.
Mr Flynn said the £15 billion should include £5 billion to improve NHS services.
He said: “Protecting Scotland’s NHS and public services from Westminster cuts is the SNP’s number one priority at the UK Budget – and it will be a major dividing line between the pro-investment SNP and the pro-cuts Tories and Labour Party at the general election.
“Scotland must not pay the price for Tory and Labour Party austerity.
“Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer’s shameful plans to take the axe to frontline public services are a clear and present danger to Scotland’s NHS.”
He continued: “The UK Government has already slashed Scotland’s budget by billions of pounds.
“While the SNP government will always do everything we can to defend public services, Scotland is not immune to the devastation imposed by Westminster cuts, Brexit and sky-high UK inflation.
“Under the SNP, Scotland has the best-performing NHS in the UK but Sunak and Starmer’s plans to slash funding, reduce staffing with Brexit, and introduce creeping privatisation poses a very real threat to the wellbeing of our NHS, our care system and families across Scotland.”
The Treasury has been contacted for comment.