THE Scottish National Party claims today that only independence will protect the National Health Service’s future — but socialists dismissed the claim.

The SNP cite recent reports by the King’s Fund arguing that the British health service has fallen behind the other advanced economies due to 13 years of Tory austerity, and the Nuffield Trust which claims that there are 4,000 fewer doctors in the UK as a result of Brexit.

Scotland’s NHS has been fully devolved since 1999 but former NHS breast cancer surgeon and SNP MP Dr Philippa Whitford argues only independence can save it.