NHS 'Facing £400m Shortfall'

A leaked paper suggests the NHS in Scotland is facing a £400m funding gap.

The document was presented to health boards in August and suggests that a cost-saving plan could be implemented over the next two years.

Scottish Labour Leader Johann Lamont said: 

"First Alex Salmond lied when he said the Tories could privatise the NHS in Scotland. They can't.

"Then he lied when he said he couldn’t protect NHS funding. He can.

"Now we find out he is secretly planning to cut nearly half a billion pounds out of our health service.

"Salmond failed to make the case for independence so he started scaremongering about the NHS.

"Now we discover the greatest threat to the NHS in Scotland is Salmond’s secret cuts. As Scots prepare to vote we must all ask ourselves - what else is Alex Salmond hiding from us?

"Salmond truly is the Old Pretender. He can’t be trusted with our NHS."

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has delivered a speech in Clydebank where he said that independence will threaten funding for the NHS in the future.

Yes Scotland campaigners say the only way to protect the NHS from privatisation is by voting 'yes' on Thursday because Scotland will have full control over its spending.

Commenting on Mr Gordon Brown's remarks, Health Secretary Alex Neil said:

"This is a spectacular own goal from Gordon Brown, who has inadvertently made the case for independence.

"If Westminster parties say that there should be an increase in taxes, they must say now which taxes and by how much.

"We believe it would be far better to protect Scotland's budget before the Tories get the chance to cut it in the first place.

"The NHS budget planning paper makes the point that even with those real terms increases, the NHS still have to rise to challenges, which makes the point that only with a Yes vote and full control of Scotland’s finances will we be able to properly protect Scotland's NHS.

"The main budget challenge identified in the paper is as a direct result of Westminster decision-making on pensions. 

"With independence we can stop wasting money on Trident and the Westminster system, including the House of Lords, and instead focus on Scotland's needs.

"We've fully protected Scotland’s NHS within our fixed budget, despite the Tories' cuts to Scotland.

"With a Yes vote and independence we can make sure it is never again under threat from Tory-led Westminster austerity."