FUNDS could be diverted from the NHS to help pay for Scotland's crumbling roads under plans drawn up ahead of a summit on how to tackle a £2.4 billion maintenance backlog.

A working group set up by Transport Scotland has been asked to consider whether health funding could be used to improve the condition of roads in order to achieve an “overall saving” to the NHS by cutting the expense of treating accident victims. As part of its evidence gathering, the Government agency is understood to have commissioned a report by transport consultancy TRL which will explore what savings could be achieved by reducing the number of A&E admissions caused by trips on defective pavements and traffic accidents in which poor road condition is a factor.

The plans appeared to take ministers by surprise, with a Government source insisting they had not been officially sanctioned and would not be taken up. Doctors’ leaders also reacted in alarm, with the British Medical Association saying that any attempt to siphon ring-fenced NHS funding would be resisted.

But road safety groups and business leaders urged the Government not to shut down debate on the issue, claiming it was an example of “diversionary” spending that could prevent higher costs for statutory services, a key recommendation of the recent Calman Commission.

Neil Greig, director of policy at the Institute of Advanced Motorists and a member of the working group tasked with examining the proposals, said he supported the principle of using NHS funds but said finding evidence to support it had proved difficult.

“The basic logic behind prevention is better than cure could apply. That’s why the NHS pays for things like alcohol and drug awareness programmes,” he said. “One of the problems is that they’re struggling to get detail from the NHS on, for example, the cost of trips and falls. If the NHS doesn’t record data about where these take place it could be impossible to implement what should be straightforward idea.”

Garry Clark, head of policy and public affairs at the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, backed the idea, saying: “The Calman Commission has said we should be thinking more longer-term about preventing future spending so it probably makes sense.”

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said it supported the principle of using funds to prevent accidents but its chief executive, Tom Mullarkey, said there would have to be a “robust” evidence base for this.

The road repair summit was ordered in February following a report by Audit Scotland which found that the country’s maintenance backlog was £2.25bn after years of neglect which had left more than one-third of the network in an “unacceptable” condition.

It emerged this month the bill was £2.44bn and may reach £2.6bn . As part of a review taking place in advance of the October summit Transport Scotland is examining potential savings from changing the way that councils and government carry out road maintenance.

A third line is examining the wider economic impacts of road conditions and considering options including making utility firms pay for digging them up.

But the Government agency removed all mention of the plans for diverting NHS funds from its website yesterday after inquiries from The Herald.

A spokeswoman for the agency said: “There are no plans to use NHS funding in this way, and this idea is not being considered.”

The Government source said the proposal had not been known about by ministers and the decision to remove it from the website had been taken by Transport Scotland officials.

A BMA spokeswoman said: “We do recognise the importance of preventative spending and preventative medicine but we don’t want to set a precedent for other public bodies to access funding needed by the NHS.”