Christina McKelvie MSP has welcomed plans to enshrine the NHS into the constitution of an independent Scotland, which would protect the right to access health care, available free at the point of need.
The plans to create a constitution that provides recognition of the NHS in Scotland were included in the fourth Building A New Scotland paper from the Scottish Government, which outlines the opportunities of Scottish Independence.
Writing the NHS into the constitution would protect the health service and ensure it remains publicly owned, publicly operated, and its services publicly commissioned.
Commenting, Christina said:
“Our NHS is Scotland’s most loved public service so it is only right that such a valuable asset be enshrined into the constitution of an independent Scotland, so that NHS Lanarkshire can be protected for generations to come.
“With the Tories overseeing the creeping privatisation of the NHS in England and attacking the powers of the Scottish Parliament we need independence to guarantee a system of health care, free at the point of need.
“While Labour looks the other way as the Tories systematically undermine the Scottish Parliament, the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have never needed protection from Westminster more and with independence we will have a constitution to protect the NHS and people’s basic rights.