Health boards have spent nearly more than £16.5 million on private security over the last five years, according to figures published by the Scottish Conservatives.

The statistics, revealed through Freedom of Information requests, show that outsourced security cost Scottish boards nearly £4 million last year alone, and the cost is increasing steadily.

The Scottish Conservatives said the figures were a contrast with the Scottish Government's ambition to cut private contracts in the Scottish NHS.

Health boards said there were a variety of reasons for the spending, including being locked into PFI contracts with a security element, and the need to protect disused sites. While some health boards, including NHS Grampian, do not use any private security at all, others have large bills. NHS Lothian has paid £7 million over the last five years to PFI partners Consort and other firms including G4S and Profile.

NHS Lanarkshire recorded the second highest spend, with £5.19 million since 2013/14, largely thanks to PFI arrangements at Hairmyres and Wishaw hospitals.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's FoI response attributed the board's increased private security spending to a need for round-the-clock protection for empty buildings closed down when staff and services transferred to the new Queen Elizabeth campus.

The board's out-of-hours GP services also needed “an ongoing security presence”, it said..

The figures revealed that total spending on private security across the country by health boards has risen year on year for five years, from £2.8 million in 2013-14 to £3.91 million last year.

Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden claimed the spending revealed 'hypocrisy' on the part of the Scottish Government.

He added: "The SNP never stops talking about how it despises the use of private companies when it comes to our NHS. Yet here we see, under its watch, spiralling costs when it comes to private security firms.

“From the party that warned a No vote in 2014 would lead to the collapse of the NHS in Scotland because of privatisation, this is quite the hypocrisy.

“It’s another example of the SNP saying one thing to please its supporters, but doing quite another in government."

He said he didn't doubt that the firms provided a valuable service, keeping patients, staff and publicly-owned property safe.

“But it’s clear from this research that some major health boards don’t need to use private firms, which shows this is a choice rather than a necessity, " he said.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Any violence or aggression against NHS Scotland staff is unacceptable and we have policies in place to provide and continuously improve a safe working environment.

"We encourage all health boards to commit to supporting appropriate action against anyone who assaults a staff member, including criminal proceedings where appropriate.

"The majority of NHS services are provided by permanent NHS staff working on NHS contracts at NHS rates of pay."