GLASGOW health board is facing a £20million shortfall this year and has warned that more cuts could be coming.

Finance Director, Mark White, revealed the board is forecast to have a deficit of between £15m and £20m by the end of March.

The board said around £8million of the deficit was down to rising drug costs due to treatments going into short supply and winter pressures on services in January and February.

It has also faced salary pressures due to a reliance on bank and agency staff but the spend is expected to reduce in the second half of the year due to recruitment. Ten of the board's “top 20” most expensive locums were replaced by October 2017 and another five were due for replacement. 

The board said the year-end position had been "moderating" month on month due to all sectors identifying savings and "efficiencies."

But a spokeswoman for NHSGGC added: "The board continues to identify additional savings schemes (both locally and nationally); to focus on delivering existing schemes and to identify additional sources of income.

"The Scottish Government are fully aware of our financial position and the Board remain in discussions with the Scottish Government around the projected year end position and achieving break even."