Mr Gethins was appearing on BBC Politics Live when host MS Coburn began grilling him on his party’s NHS record. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was interviewed by the BBC’s Andrew Neil earlier this week during which the party’s record on the NHS was scrutinised. Ms Coburn quizzed the SNP MP for North East Fife on his party failing to meet six of the eight targets they had previously setout. 

She said:  “Steven, health is devolved and we have just made it clear that spending per head is higher in Scotland so I put to you again that it is your own mismanagement.

“So spending per head is higher in Scotland than in other parts of the UK and yet your own eight measures six of them are missed.

“Now you can keep comparing to other parts of the UK but we’re looking at Scotland that is where you’re representing. 

“Why should voters trust you when you cannot meet the measures you have already set?” 

Mr Gethins replied: “Well, first of all, a little bit of context, which is spending in Scotland is slightly higher it always will be it is a more widespread geographical area. 

“We want to see levels in the UK brought up to  Scottish levels as they are now that would free up an extra four billion pounds for front line services in Scotland.

“That would be a good investment after a decade of austerity.”

Earlier this week BBC’s Andrew Neil grilled the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon on her NHS record.  

Mr Neil said: “Only two of your eight waiting time targets are being hit, you’ve been in for a long while.

“You haven’t hit the A&E target since 2017, the two-month cancer target you haven’t hit since 2013.

“Children are dying in a new Glasgow hospital because the water is contaminated, perhaps by pigeon droppings.

“A new multi-million pound Edinburgh hospital should of opened in 2012 is still unfit to open, you can’t even get the ventilation system to work.”

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He continued: “You’ve got the worse drug addiction problem in Europe but you cut drug treatment budgets by 15 million.

“You clung onto your last health minister, you’re under pressure now to sack the successor.

“You have called for legislation to protect the NHS from Donald Trump.

“Maybe the NHS needs legislation to protect it from Nicola Sturgeon.”

Ms Sturgeon said: “Health services everywhere have challenges. We are not immune from that. But I believe that we are doing the things that are required to fix those challenges and to make sure that we have the health service that people expect. And patient satisfaction ratings for NHS Scotland remain extremely high.”

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