DR Anne Mullin (Letters, July 22) uses Magnus Gardham's article about the future of the NHS in Scotland ("Health at the heart of our big debate", The Herald July 19) to express her fears for the funding of the service in the event of a No vote.

Those campaigning to preserve the Union have often been accused of scaremongering but here Dr Mullin is scaremongering on a grand scale.

Had she read Mr Gardham's article in full, she would have seen that he points out that, even if much of the care in England is provided by the private sector, the cost is met by the NHS; therefore the direct threat to Scotland's funding is minimal. Although the Coalition Government no doubt hopes that private sector provision will in the long run release worthwhile savings, I find it hard to believe that a politically-acceptable level of service will save very much.

Even if Dr Mullin's fears do come to pass, she must know that the funding which the Scottish Government receives is in the form of a block grant; there is no specific budget for the Scottish NHS. So the Scottish Government can, if it so wishes, find extra funding to maintain the NHS by cutting back on some of its discretionary funding, for example on free bus passes for all over 60s, free school meals for all in their early years in school, irrespective of their parental income, and so on.

Spending priorities are political choices, and I venture to suggest that preserving the NHS in Scotland will always have a very high priority. (Incidentally, my wife and I use our bus passes freely, but we do not need to, and I am sure that there are very many others like us.)

Andrew A Reid,

75 Glencairn Drive,

Glasgow.

DR Anne Mullin suggests that an independent Scotland "will have a realistic agenda of preventative health care", a policy aim which is entirely laudable and compatible with a modern and enlightened society.

Personal experience in being brought up in the east end of Glasgow ensures that I will always be grateful for decent public housing and the NHS, especially during earlier years.

While the positive health messages regarding smoking, diet and exercise are well trailed and will be reinforced by the successful Games legacy and the educational messages, it is however surely time for politicians of all shades to "tell it like it is" and stress the realistic and perhaps unpalatable truths regarding hard messages on health, and the individual's responsibility for their basic maintenance of both mind and body.

While education continues to be important, especially for the younger generation, the NHS - across the UK - can no longer be expected to be a cure-all, especially where this individual responsibility is disregarded, despite the ever-present warnings to the contrary. This is particularly relevant given Scotland's priorities such as the future ageing population problem.

By itself, escalating NHS spending within an independent Scotland should not be portrayed as a potential universal solution, or even as an esoteric benefit emerging from independence as the cure for what continues to ail us.

David Moore,

Douglas Drive East,

Helensburgh.

I AWAIT, without much hope, for an apology by Gordon Brown to all those awaiting transplants who have been needlessly and recklessly alarmed by his scaremongering on health issues come independence ("Brown highlights the Scots getting crucial medical help from England", The Herald, July 22).

Suggesting that organ transplants (and blood transfusions) would be put at risk with independence is a new low in the fear campaign from the No campaign.

For someone of his standing in politics to be so ill-informed on such a major health issue beggars belief, so much so that one perhaps has to ask if he knew what he was saying was false.

With unintended irony he calls on the SNP " to tell the truth about the benefits from direct links with England in healthcare".

What has happened to this man's famous moral compass?

James Mills,

29 Armour Square,

Johnstone.