Health secretary Jeane Freeman had previously told MSPs she wanted to have an investment strategy in place before the end of March 2019.

The strategy was to create a framework for considering necessary investment over the longer term and was to be accompanied by the medium-term financial framework.

But the minister has now said it will be published “as soon as practicable following greater certainty on the Brexit process”.

The delay in the publication of the NHS capital investment strategy was revealed in an answer to a parliamentary question submitted by SNP MSP George Adam.

He had asked the government to “provide an update on when it plans to publish a medium-term plan for capital investment in the NHS”.

Ms Freeman said: “We will bring forward our medium-term NHS Capital Investment Strategy as soon as is practicable, following greater certainty on the Brexit process and its potential impact on the NHS capital budget beyond 2019-20.”

With the NHS maintenance backlog having increased to £899 million in 2017, Scottish Labour insisted action was urgently needed.

The party’s health spokeswoman Monica Lennon said: “This plan was supposed to be in place by April – our NHS estate desperately needs investment to clear a backlog of repairs and keep our people safe.

“This is yet another example of how the Tories’ botched handling of Brexit is taking attention away from the needs of our health service.

“SNP Ministers must publish this promised plan very soon and before the £899m maintenance backlog they have presided over increases.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are committed to delivering a medium-term NHS Capital Investment Strategy to support our health service, but it would not be sensible to do so until we have greater certainty on the outcome of the ongoing Brexit process and its potential impact on the NHS capital budget beyond 2019-20.

“The 2019-20 budget already makes provision for capital investment to be targeted at addressing backlog maintenance and ensuring that the NHS estate remains safe.”