Scotland’s prisoners served better food than hospital patients, Scottish Tories say

Prisoners are being fed better than patients at some Scottish hospitals, a Tory politician has claimed.

Costings released to the Scottish Conservatives show prisoners at the Lilias Centre in Glasgow are served meals valued at £5.30 while those given to patients of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are worth £4.32.

The figures also show meals at HMP Inverness cost £4.05 while portions served to patients of NHS Highland are priced £3.01, and meals at HMP Kilmarnock cost £4.71 compared to £3.69 at NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

The party has also found prisoners held in England and Wales are fed for less than in Scotland, with the average cost per day for prisoners in Scotland put at £4.27 against an average of £2.70 south of the border.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton MSP said: “It is completely outrageous that many prisoners in Scotland seem to be better fed than some hospital patients.

“Scots will be wondering why more money is being spent per prisoner here compared to what is being spent in England and Wales.

“Complaints about the food served up in Scotland’s hospitals is sadly all too common so it is appalling that prisoners seem to be getting better treatment.

“It is common sense that more should be spent serving up healthy and nutritional dishes to poorly patients.

“The public and victims of crime will rightly question why criminals behind bars receive better quality meals than patients stuck in Scotland’s hospitals.

“SNP ministers should urgently look into this spending disparity and ensure patients are prioritised over prisoners.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Prison food is the responsibility of the Scottish Prison Service, who have a responsibility to provide healthy and nutritious meals for everyone in their care, and health boards are responsible for patient food.”