A BREAST surgeon turned politician who earned extra cash by performing shifts for the NHS has hit back at criticism over her second job.

Philippa Whitford, who is the SNP health spokeswoman at Westminster, has worked as a locum consultant for NHS Ayrshire and Arran on a handful of occasions since she was elected to the Commons last May.

According the Central Ayrshire MP's register of interests, she earned just over £1,000 for 17.5 hours work over August and September. She also worked for the health board five times over the Christmas period.

The Herald: Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock. (39641948)

Opposition politicians attacked the SNP by referencing Pete Wishart's outspoken statement against second jobs last year. In February, Mr Wishart, the SNP's shadow leader of the house and chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee, said being an MP was a "full time job" and that constituents would struggle to accept that it could be performed alongside other paid employment.

Jackie Baillie, the Labour MSP, said: "The fact that Philippa Whitford, on a lucrative MP's salary, can still make an hourly rate in our NHS nearly seven times the living wage shows the real problems in our NHS and how understaffed and under-resourced our health service is under the SNP."

However, many reacted with anger to the attacks, saying Dr Whitford had been providing a valuable public service. She said she performed three shifts over the parliamentary recess in the summer and worked a further five days over Christmas as a colleague was ill.

She said that she had done the work to help out the hospital rather than for the money, and pointed out that over time medical professionals lose their skills and licence if they cease practicing.


A spokesman for the SNP also defended the politician, who rose to prominence after giving a passionate speech on the health service in the run-up to the independence referendum. He said: "Philippa was asked to take some shifts at Crosshouse Hospital during the busy Christmas holidays. She intends to keep her licence as an NHS breast cancer surgeon. We are incredibly fortunate to have such an experienced doctor as our health spokeswoman in Westminster."