Humanist Society Scotland chief executive Douglas McLellan said: “We do chaplaincy as part of our vocation and it’s disappointing that others see it as a way of raising funds”.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland defended the organisation against claims it was exploiting the health service, saying it “does not charge the NHS anything” but that the health service “has always provided expenses for those religious bodies which have acted in a chaplaincy role in hospital”.