Nicola Sturgeon: Only independence will save Scottish NHS This will allow hospitals to use up to 49 per cent of their empty beds and theatre time treating private patients, which she said would create a "two-tier system" that is a "betrayal" of the NHS's founding principles. Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour health spokesman, said: "By highlighting that Scotland has the best NHS in the world, Nicola Sturgeon again makes a great case for devolution and the people of Scotland will be asking why we would jeopardise that by separating from the United Kingdom." Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, accused Miss Sturgeon of "silly scaremongering." There is no threat to the NHS in Scotland from Westminster. In fact, David Cameron's pledge to protect NHS spending has led to a record budget for the Scottish NHS," she said. Although the Prime Minister has promised to protect the English health service from spending cuts, Miss Sturgeon argued that the Coalition's reforms posed a financial risk to the Scottish health service. "As hospitals in England get more of their money from private patients, I believe we will see future UK governments freeze or reducing public funding for the NHS," the minister told the conference at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow. They will still claim that NHS funding is protected, but the reality will be that less of it will come from the public purse. This would have a knock-on effect on Scotland's grant from Westminster, she said, which the Barnett formula calculates as a percentage of public spending south of the Border. Miss Sturgeon, who is also Deputy First Minister, concluded: "If we want to make absolutely sure that Tory health policies can't damage our health service in any way, we need independence." She also claimed that separation would also allow Scottish ministers to make "different decisions" about health and education policies. Scotland's schools have slipped down international league tables for literacy and numeracy since devolution started in 1999. Scotland's annual benefits bill has reached £15.5 billion - a third of tax revenues north of the Border. However, Miss Sturgeon attacked the Coalition's plans for welfare reform and insisted: "Only independence will give us the tools we need to rid Scotland of the poverty and deprivation that still scars our nation." The Health Minister also told delegates that she was confident her plans to introduce minimum alcohol pricing would survive any legal challenge. However, she urged drinks companies not to delay its introduction by "tying it up in the courts." Miss Sturgeon also announced details of the lung cancer initiative, which will see 10,000 "higher - risk" patients over the next four years given a new form of blood test that can diagnose the disease more quickly.