No campaign must answer questions on Scotland’s health service

The pro-independence group NHS for Yes today challenged Alistair Darling and the No campaign to explain what kind of future awaits the NHS in the event of a No vote.

Dr Willie Wilson, co-founder of NHS for Yes, said the anti-independence campaign is in denial about the consequences of NHS England privatisation and the knock-on effect it would have on Scotland’s budget.

He posed six key questions for Mr Darling:

1. Do you agree with Labour’s health spokesperson in England, Andy Burnham MP, that the NHS in England could be broken up in five years?

2. Do you agree with Andy Burnham that people need to be woken up to what is happening in the NHS which is taking "the first steps towards an American health care system"?

3. Do you agree with Unite, the union, that people in England "will increasingly have to pay for aspects of their care that used to be free at the time of treatment"?

4. Can you guarantee that privatisation will never result in an increase to or extension of patient charges for health care in England? Will such a guarantee be included in the manifestos of the 3 main No parties at Westminster?

5. Do you agree with the Welsh Health Minister that the current Westminster government believes in shrinking the state, which in turn means less money is being passed down to his administration?

6. Can you confirm that any changes in health spending in England in the future will result in automatic changes to Scotland's block grant? In this regard, do you still stand by the claim made by Scottish Labour, which helped you get elected, that the Tories have "starved our schools and hospitals of funding and there’s a real risk they’d do the same again”?

Dr Wilson said: 'The No campaign is trying to cover up the consequences for Scotland of NHS privatisation in England. They are saying that everything will be fine, while their colleagues in England and Wales are warning of a health service on the “cliff-edge” and a deliberate policy of shrinking the public sector.”

'The risk of a No is very clear. They cannot give any guarantee that privatisation of the NHS in England won’t have a damaging knock on effect on Scotland’s health service, because funding for Scotland’s public services will be automatically linked to spending changes in England - a point made by Scottish Labour in previous election campaigns.

'If even one of the threats identified by politicians down south comes to pass, then Scotland’s NHS would face unacceptable pressures. That is too big a risk for our most valued public service and it is why our NHS needs a Yes vote in September.'

Blair Jenkins, Chief Executive of Yes Scotland, said: ‘Alistair Darling, yet again, has found himself in a real bind – saying one thing while his party colleagues at Westminster say the opposite and his campaign partners at No, the Tories, doing what could be irreparable damage.

'The sentiments expressed by the professionals at NHS for Yes are serious and heart-felt and must be addressed. And the six questions they ask must be answered.

‘However, I suspect that a growing majority of the people of Scotland are becoming more and more aware of the threat posed by a No vote and, on September 18, will put their cross where it counts to ensure a fairer and more just nation– in Yes box.’