An extra �12m is being made available to NHS boards in Scotland to help them cope with increased pressure over the winter months.

The cash will be used to fund extra beds, nursing staff and equipment in local hospitals.

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm hopes this will help the NHS avoid a repeat of nightmare conditions two years ago when hospitals struggled to cope after a major outbreak of flu.

We cannot predict with absolute certainty what new challenges the season may bring

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm

He said: "While we are determined to do all we can to reduce the risk of winter illness - for example through our annual winter flu immunisation campaign launched this week - we cannot eliminate all such problems.

"Secondly, while we know that the NHS will face extra pressures this winter - as it has in the past - we cannot predict with absolute certainty what new challenges the season may bring.

"That is why, at a time when most people were thinking about their summer holidays, our Winter Planning Group was reviewing how the NHS coped with last winter and inviting boards to submit new proposals for this year - each of which has been scrutinised to ensure it represents the best use of NHS resources."

He said the additional �12m would enable NHS boards to firm up their plans to create extra capacity.

Two years ago, a severe winter flu outbreak put the health service under huge strain.

Routine operations were cancelled to free up beds for flu patients and some hospitals were forced to convert coronary care units, theatre recovery areas and high-dependency units into temporary intensive care beds.