The SNP yesterday unveiled its manifesto ideas for the health service - unleashing a torrent of criticism from the other parties.

The SNP yesterday unveiled its manifesto ideas for the health service - unleashing a torrent of criticism from the other parties.

Labour, Liberal Democrat and Tory MSPs queued up to deride the Nationalists' policy platform, which they claimed was more about chasing a few cheap headlines than getting to grips with the complexities of the NHS.

The SNP said the attacks only showed how nervous their rivals were about the polls on May 3. Nicola Sturgeon, SNP leader at Holyrood, launched her plans to "keep health care local" deep in Labour's heartlands, unveiling a poster outside Monklands Hospital in Airdrie - which is to lose its casualty department because of health service reorganisation.

Besides a promise to keep the Monklands A&E open, her pledges included a personal waiting time guarantee for patients; partially-elected health boards; free fruit in schools and free school meals for P1 to P3 pupils; no more waiting lists for free personal care; and an end to prescription charges for those with chronic conditions and young people in education or training.

She said: "The SNP will protect vital local health services, give the public a say in decisions on the future of local hospitals and do more to give young Scots the healthiest start in life.

"In recent years, Scotland has lost eight A&Es. If there is no change, things will only get worse."

Critics said the event proved one of the long-standing criticisms of SNP policy - that it is heavy on the constitution, but light on bread and butter issues such as health, education and crime.

Andy Kerr, the Labour Health Minister, said while the Scottish Executive was investing £10bn a year into the NHS, the SNP were trying to pull off a "crude con trick" which ducked hard choices of modern healthcare.

He added: "The SNP are playing with people's lives as they posture on health reform purely for political gain. Yet again they have nothing of substance to say."

The Conservatives and LibDems were equally scathing.

Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: "There is nothing in here to address the system of centralised targets which paralyses progress and removes key clinical decisions from healthcare professionals."

LibDem health spokesman Euan Robson added: "This is not a comprehensive health policy, it's series of responses to recent news headlines."