Less is spent feeding recuperating patients in NHS Highland hospitals than on prisoners serving time at Inverness prison, it has been revealed.
The cash-strapped health board spends just £3.01 per day feeding patients compared to the £4.05 on prisoners at HMP Inverness.
Even larger sums are spent on those locked up elsewhere in Scotland, with more spent on meals at every Scottish prison than at NHS Highland.
At Dundee’s Bella Centre, where Kirriemuir killer Tasmin Glass was caged, it costs £5.26 for prison meals.
Over £2 more spent on Grampian patients
NHS Highland has a reported deficit of around £115 million and says inflation combined with increasing pay bills and running costs have not been matched by government funding.
The situation is slightly better for patients in Grampian, where £5.84 is spent per day on meals. This compares to a daily cost of just under £4 at HMP Grampian.
But the Scottish Conservatives say it is “outrageous” that prisoners are better fed than some hospital patients.
Documents obtained under freedom of information laws show they can order from a menu which includes options like roast turkey, chicken leg, steak and sausage pie, chocolate brownie with custard and ice cream.
The party highlighted more is spent on average in Scottish prisons than in England and Wales, where meals cost an average of £2.70 a day.
Deputy leader Rachel Hamilton called on SNP ministers to look into the spending disparity.
She said: “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.
‘Common sense that more should be spent on poorly patients’
“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.”
A Scottish Prison Service spokesman said: “Our staff work hard to serve a varied and nutritious diet to people in our care, while also ensuring value for money.”
A Scottish Government spokesman 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.”
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