NHS ‘stunt’

Alan W Sharp (Letters, 17 October) wonders “how many voted Yes because of the iniquitous assertions made about the NHS which had and have no basis in fact”.

Odd, then, that a paper dated 1 September by Allyson Pollock, the highly respected Professor of Public Health and Research Policy at the University of 
London, should state the following: “The (English) Health and Social Care Act 2012 … could have grave long-term consequences for the NHS in the 
devolved nations, including Scotland …

“A Yes vote in the referendum would free Scotland from (the Treasury) stranglehold, and allow politicians in Scotland to control public finances as well as NHS policy.”

Given Professor Pollock’s status and relevant expertise, it seems inappropriate, to say the least, to dismiss the introduction of the NHS issue as a “cheap political scaremongering stunt”.

Colin Weatherley

The Paddock

Gullane, East Lothian