NHS BOARD'S £112M DEFICIT

Patients in back yard of the new Health Secretary face savage cuts to their services

- PAUL HUTCHEON

NEW Health Secretary Neil Gray's own health board faces a £112million black hole and huge cuts to plug the deficit.

The amount NHS Lanarkshire has to save is the equivalent of 24 days' running costs for the struggling board.

A leaked paper states: "All directors have been asked to consider how a 5-6 percent reduction to their budget could be achieved." The severe challenges for NHS Lanarkshire are a nightmare for Gray as he is the MSP for Airdrie and Shotts.

Labour MSP Monica Lennon said: "The latest SNP Health Secretary is a Lanarkshire MSP who must know what harm this will do to patients and NHS workers in our communities.