Mr Sarwar accuses Sturgeon of trying to claim credit for creating the NHS, drawing bemused looks from the first minister.

The Labour leader says the next first minister faces a "sky-high in-tray" - including record A&E waiting times, drug deaths, NHS vacancies, children without homes and homelessness.

He claims the SNP government has wasted public money and created a culture of "cover-up and secrecy".

Ms Sturgeon denies claiming credit for the NHS but says she will stand up for its founding principles.

She brands the allegation of wasting public money "nonsense".

Image source, PA Media

Nicola Sturgeon has been criticised by a Holyrood committee for prematurely naming Ferguson Marine as the preferred bidder to build two new ferries.

Ms Sturgeon made the announcement in 2015 despite "considerable negotiations" still being required, the Public Audit Committee said.

It said this had likely weakened the position of government ferry company CMAL when problems emerged.

The ferries are now five years late and massively over budget.

• Read more here
• Overdue CalMac ferries hit by further delays
• Leaked dossier suggests Scottish ferry deal may have been rigged

Image source, PA Media

Anas Sarwar begins with a question about the "in-tray" for the next first minister as the SNP leadership contest nears its conclusion.

The Scottish Labour leader asks which issue Ms Sturgeon's successor should address first - issues with the country's ferries, the "entrenched" attainment gap, an NHS crisis or "decimated" local services.

The first minister says Mr Sarwar is wrong and points to institutions her government has set up - including Revenue Scotland, Social Security Scotland and the National Investment Bank.

She also points progress on improving NHS performance, reaching climate targets and widening access to university for disadvantaged students and early years childcare.

Image source, PA Media

Douglas Ross says: "The house that Sturgeon Salmond and Murrell built is collapsing."

The SNP's president Mike Russell says the party is "in a tremendous mess", says Mr Ross.

Ms Sturgeon hits back saying a poll about leaders' popularity ratings was published today and does not make happy reading for Douglas Ross.

The first minister tells the chamber she is not the MSP who missed a veteran's debate to referree a football match.

She defends her government's record and says on eight occassions the people of Scotland voted for her and her party.

Postpublished at 12:21 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2023

12:21 GMT 23 March 2023

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

This session has continued a theme which has bubbled away during Ms Sturgeon’s final weeks in office.

There is little room for a victory lap when her party has been cast into disarray by her departure.

The exchanges with Douglas Ross over SNP membership figures – punctuated by unparliamentary language and personal attacks – were almost as bad-tempered and chaotic as the leadership contest itself.

Ms Sturgeon was keen to play up her record of electoral success, repeatedly underlining that as a measure of public backing for her legacy.

But she also had a big list of her government’s achievements ready to read out.

She will just hope that the damage being wrought by the race to replace her will not tarnish her record, or her party’s prospects.

The first minister says: "On this my last appearance as first minister, Douglas Ross is not asking me about the NHS, or education, or the economy, or climate justice."

She says he has chosen party membership for her final FMQs.

Nicola Sturgeon again asks how many members does the Scottish Conservative party have.

It has been a rowdy start to FMQs and the presiding officer has had to intervene on a couple of occasions.

Alison Johnstone points out "we do not use the word 'lie' in this chamber".

The Scottish Tory leader says this is an important issue because the SNP lied to the press and the public.

Douglas Ross says "Nicola Sturgeon is treating the Scottish public like idiots".

He adds: "The SNP did lie."

He asks how people can be so gullible as to believe Nicola Sturgeon did not know what the SNP's chief executive was up to.

Nicola Sturgeon replies saying the issue of SNP membership has been well canvassed over the last few days.

The first minister points out the "SNP remains the only mass-membership party in this country".

She says it has far more members than any other party in the chamber and adds she thinks it has more members than all the others combined.

Ms Sturgeon asks Douglas Ross how many mambers his party has in Scotland.

Image source, PA Media

The SNP leadership contest has been gripped by a row over membership figures which has seen the party's top spin doctor and its chief executive resign.

What is going on within Scotland's dominant political party, and what does it mean for the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon?

Read all about it here.

Douglas Ross asks about the SNP membership and the loss of 30,000 members.

He asks: "So why did Nicola Sturgeon's party, the party of government in this parliament, lie to the press and the public?"

On what must be an emotional day for the first minister, she is in her seat, poised and ready. Douglas Ross gets to his feet to question her for the last time.

What can we expect from this historic FMQs?published at 11:54 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2023

11:54 GMT 23 March 2023

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

At quarter to one, MSPs will fall over themselves in praise of Nicola Sturgeon as she prepares to exit high office.

But for the 45 minutes before that most of the same MSPs will endeavour to reduce her legacy to rubble. That’s politics for you.

The issues of the day are almost a greatest hits compilation of the questions hurled at her over recent years.

Only this morning, Ms Sturgeon has been personally singled out in a scathing committee report about the Ferguson ferries farrago.

There have also been further headlines about NHS waiting times, and questions about the sustainability of services which have been under her control since she became health secretary in 2007.

Given this is her 286th session of FMQs, Ms Sturgeon is fairly well practised in fielding these queries; her big binder of statistics will no doubt be put to good use for the final time.

She may be less prepared for her opponents to be nice to her afterwards.

And next Thursday, she will be watching on from the back benches while someone else is under the microscope in the centre of the chamber.

Image source, Reuters

Nicola Sturgeon has chaired a meeting of the Scottish government's cabinet for the final time as first minister.

Ms Sturgeon told her team that "lots of really important things" had been achieved around the cabinet table.

After being given a round of applause, she joked she had spent the night working out it was the 637th cabinet meeting since the SNP came to power.

The winner of the contest to succeed Ms Sturgeon as SNP leader will be revealed on Monday afternoon.

Image source, PA

• 12:00 to 12:45: This afternoon Nicola Sturgeon will take part in what is expected to be her final First Minister’s Questions
• 12:45 to 13:15: A valedictory Statement by the first minster, followed by opposition leaders and members’ responses.

Image source, PA

As we gear up for this historic FMQs, let's take a trip down memory lane and recall Nicola Sturgeon's first day as first minister.

The day was 19 November 2014 and first up on the agenda was a trip to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

On to Holyrood and down to business, and the first step in the day's proceedings was signing the nomination papers.

Image source, Scottish government

Ms Sturgeon was nominated by MSPs Joe FitzPatrick and Humza Yousaf.

The tone of Ms Sturgeon's first FMQs was also markedly different from what we have become used to as she made an 'open offer' to rivals.

Image source, Getty Images

Good morning and welcome to this historic day at Holyrood, as Nicola Sturgeon faces opposition party leaders in her final FMQs.

The first minister will then deliver her valedictory address to the parliament and MSPs will get the chance to respond.

Stick with us for all the action from the chamber, with reports and analysis throughout.