NHS health boards in Scotland will receive £9m to help patients get the "best treatment" possible during winter.

The fund is aimed at helping ease the increased workload often seen during winter months.

Health boards will share the £9m across the country.

The Scottish Government hope the funds can be used to free up hospital beds by ensuring patients are discharged as soon they are no clinical reason for them staying.

Staffing levels often fall during the weekend meaning discharges are delayed.

The First Minister said: "A&E attendances last winter increased yet emergency departments consistently improved their performance.

"This is testament to the immensely hard work and dedication of our NHS staff and follows a three-year, £50m unscheduled care fund which supported boards to make changes.

"The additional £9m for this year will ensure patients get the best treatment in the most appropriate place, easing pressure on our A&E departments and maximising patient flows within hospitals which face additional admission demands in winter."

Opposition parties have questioned why this year's winter funding is smaller than the £10.7m the Scottish Government handed health boards in 2015.

The announcement has also come before a debate in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday afternoon when the Scottish Conservatives will argue the Scottish Government has not done enough to tackle staffing issues in the NHS.

The party's shadow health secretary Donald Cameron said: "Any additional cash for A&E is welcome, particularly at the most difficult time of year.

"But the Scottish Government has thrown money at health problems before to no affect.

"Last year it put in even more into casualty wards, and still they struggled to cope.

Cameron added: "And the millions invested in delayed discharge don't seem to have had any impact whatsoever.

"This is another example of the SNP's terrible forward planning coming home to roost.

"There aren't enough staff in these wards, and not enough GPs to prevent people using casualty as a first port of call."