NHS consultants are pocketing an extra £74,000 a year in “distinction awards” as a way of topping up salaries of almost £100,000. Politicians from Labour, the

Liberal Democrats and the SNP have united in calling for urgent reform of the system.

The Scottish government has called for spending restraint as a way of protecting the most vital public services.

However, the Sunday Herald can reveal that the Scottish administration is set to spend £30m next year on topping up the incomes of wealthy doctors -- a near 7% rise from 2009.

Under the Distinction Awards scheme, the payments are made yearly until a consultant retires, when the subsidy is added to the doctors’ final salary pension calculation.

The health department has earmarked less money for specialist children’s services and mental wellbeing combined than it has for consultant awards next year.

While the distinction awards will command £30m of the budget, tobacco control has been given £12.3m and health screening £8.5m -- a cut of almost £6m from the previous year.

Cathy Jamieson, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said: “The public will find these payments difficult to understand, particularly at a time when money is tight

in the NHS.”

Dr Ian McKee, an SNP MSP for the Lothians, said: “There is far too much money going into it.”