The Scottish government’s health and sport portfolio is to rise to more than £16bn in 2021/22, finance secretary Kate Forbes announced today as she unveiled the Scottish budget.

Funding for core NHS services will increase by more than £800m, 5.4%, with another £869m of covid-19 support for areas such as vaccinations and Test and Protect taking the total past £16bn – just under a third of total Scottish government spending.

Final allocations may change as the SNP will need to find support from another party in Holyrood.

Speaking today, Kate Forbes drew attention to spending boosts in mental health and addiction.

An additional £50m has been pledged for alcohol and drugs, an increase of more than a third on current levels, as part of £250m over the next five years.

Funding for NHS boards is to increase at a lower rate than the overall health and sport budget, with £10.9bn for regional boards and another £1.3bn for national boards.

A series of commitments have been made to boost social care spending, taking the total investment to £883m. The government’s budget document promises to take ‘careful account’ of the recommendations of the independent review of adult social care, which is set to report soon.

Integration authorities are to oversee more than £10bn of spending in the next financial year.

“Substantial” capital investment in the NHS estate is promised, for the delivery of new elective care centres and the Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Centre in Aberdeen, while £2m has been allocated to support research into long covid.

The government says there will be additional funding to back the forthcoming respiratory care action plan to support people dealing with the impact of long covid..

In primary care, extra cash has been set aside for delivering the new GP contract – which has been delayed due to the pandemic – and for the implementation of changes to urgent care pathways.

The Scottish government has said it will continue to invest in digital health and care, though overall funding will increase by less than half a million.

Professor Angela Thomas, of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, welcomed the additional funding for frontline services.

But she said more needed to be done to protect the wellbeing of doctors and protect training and research time.

Professor Thomas added: “There must also be increased funding for programmes that can help make Scotland a healthier nation.

“This should include investment in educational programmes on healthy weight, and incentives to encourage physical activity across all age groups.”

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