The Scottish Ambulance Service is to receive an extra £4.7m in a bid to end single crewing on emergency call-outs, the Scottish Government has said.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said an extra 40 front line staff would also be taken on to work in the north and south-west of Scotland.

She warned it would take about two years to get the staff in place.

The funding, spread over the next three years, will tackle staffing problems in some of Scotland's most remote areas and came amid concern that staffing problems were hitting morale.

Ms Sturgeon told parliament: "I hope members will join me in welcoming the fact that routine single crewing of ambulances - for so many years an issue of deep concern in rural Scotland - is now being decisively addressed by this government."

She added: "This government remains committed to ensuring high quality, safe and effective ambulances for all of Scotland and I am confident that the Scottish Ambulance Service will respond to the challenges it continues to face and deliver this for the patients of Scotland."

Ms Sturgeon said "significant progress" had been made towards the goal and the use of single crews would be monitored on a monthly basis.