NHS Highland expected to confirm a reduced deficit

NHS Highland is expected to announce a cut of £4m to its predicted deficit at a meeting of its board members later.

The health board still has to find savings of £8.2m before the end of March to break even this financial year.

More than £10m of the projected deficit was due to costs incurred at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

However, in October NHS Highland had managed to bring this figure down to £6m.

The health board has been criticised for its financial situation in recent months.

Scotland's financial watchdog highlighted concerns about the accounts of NHS Highland in a report laid out in the Scottish Parliament in October.

Audit Scotland stated that weaknesses in financial management were a factor in the health board requiring a £2.5m loan from the Scottish government to break even last financial year.