A row has broken out between Labour and the SNP over fears the NHS could be privatised in the future.
Labour health spokesman Neil Findlay urged the nationalists to “stop scaremongering” after they seized on comments made by consultant breast surgeon Dr Philippa Whitford.
She claimed that without independence the NHS in Scotland would “wither away”.
Dr Whitford, a consultant at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, said the Conservative agenda of bringing private firms into the NHS had convinced her voting “yes” was the right thing to do.
“In five years England will not have an NHS and in 10 years, if we vote no, neither will we,” she added.
The SNP said it was estimated that 50% of the NHS in England would be run by private companies by 2020 and the consequences would be budget cuts in Scotland.
It promised that the health service would remain in public hands in a independent Scotland.
SNP MSP Aileen McLeod said: “These comments from a top surgeon and breast cancer specialist bring the choice of two futures facing Scotland in September into stark focus.
“With a ‘yes’ vote we can ensure that not only will Tory privatisation of the health service be stopped at the border but that our NHS remains properly funded.”
But Mr Findlay reacted furiously to the remarks.
“This looks like deliberate misinformation from a campaign which is resorted to making up things to scare people into a yes vote,” he said.
“Everyone knows that the NHS in Scotland is run by the Scottish Parliament and the Tories can’t get their hands on our hospitals and health centres.
“The real threat to the NHS is a ‘yes’ vote and the deep cuts to public spending that are predicted by independent experts if Scotland goes it alone.”