Ms Campbell says the Scottish government has always valued the strength of its relationship with those in the NHS.

Image source, Thinkstock

The public health minister says by working with doctors, the confrontation with junior doctors that has dogged England, has been avoided.

She says the first minister announced £27m support to increase staffing levels earlier this year, already at record levels.

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell says she wants to be robust in defending the Scottish government's record on the NHS.

Ms Campbell says under this administration there is the highest number of GPs per head of population in the UK.

She says the government has substantially increased the number of GP training places.

The minister says improvements to primary care are constantly being considered and cites £85m of funding over three years. 

Labour MSP Colin Smyth says he hopes the government will review the living wage policy for care workers and take account of factors such as rurality.

Labour MSP Colin Smyth says the health and social care work force should be valued.

Mr Smyth says there have been plenty of warm words but what they really want is fair pay and conditions and staffing levels.

The health secretary intervenes to ask if Mr Smyth welcomes the introduction of the real living wage for care workers.

He says he welcomes the policy but its implementation frankly has been chaotic.

SNP MSP Maree Todd says Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser urged the SNP to be less dismal yesterday so she would urge the Tories to take their own advice.

Ms Todd says the government are making commitments to improve the NHS. 

"This is the first government to have a mental health minster.", she says. 

She says there will always be pressures on the NHS but this government is coping "remarkably well" compared to the rest of the UK. 

Scottish Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton says GPs are finding their surgeries in "abject distress".

"There is a fundamental and existential crisis in our health service."

Mr Cole-Hamilton says the SNP government has its fingers firmly in its years, in response to the crisis.

Conservative MSP Jeremy Balfour says no-one in this chamber wants to see the NHS fail.

Mr Balfour says on at least three or four occasions the intervention of the NHS has saved his life.

He says however we need to be honest about the NHS.

The Tory MSP says: "Primary care in Scotland is failing and is in critical condition."

He says primary care services only get 8% of the NHS spend and this is simply not enough.

SNP MSP James Dornan says the Tories have such a gall to talk about the NHS in crisis in Scotland when under the UK government it is reaching breaking point in England.

Mr Dornan also cites the cuts from Westminster and the ongoing programme of austerity.

He accuses the Tories of being a "mob" and is told off by the deputy presiding officer.

Tory MSP Brian Whittle intervenes to say the SNP have not had any impact on health inequalities and Mr Dornan should hang his head in shame.

The SNP MSP hits back saying that Mr Whittle and the Tories should hang their heads in shame.

Scottish Labour MSP Daniel Johnson says GPs are the future of he NHS because of the integration in services.

Mr Johnson says patients cannot get GP appointments and this puts pressure on acute services and the NHS. 

He says half the GP services in Edinburgh are closed to new patients.

The Labour MSP says more resource is required to attract more GPs. 

Mr Johnson says we need to "face up" to the NHS problems in Scotland as it is not good enough to just talk about what is going on in other parts of the UK.

Green MSP Alison Johnstone says NHS workforce planning should be thoroughly scrutinised.

Ms Johnstone says her party believes in parity of mental and physical health.

She says by 2020 there could be a shortfall of 830 GPs, according to the RCGP.

The Green MSP says she backs the RCGP call to increase the proportion of NHS spending on GP practices to 11%.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay says both his wife and daughter work in the NHS.

Mr Findlay says there is a GP crisis here and now.

Image source, bbc

He says there are staff shortages across the NHS and staff morale is on the decline.

The Labour MSP says: "My feeling is this is only going to get worse".

SNP MSP Sandra White says the opposition parties don't like to be reminded of the health service in the other areas of the UK.

Ms White criticises Scottish Labour MSP Anas Sarwar's contribution says she will take no lessons from his party. 

She then asks Deputy Presiding Officer Linda Fabiani if she would like to do something about Mr Sarwar turning his back on the chair.

Ms Fabiani says "that's for me to decide".

Ms White says the government have brought in breast screening and bowel screening programmes and are proud of this. 

Announcing this year's funding First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "Winter guidance was issued to boards in August and health boards are now well advanced in their unscheduled care planning - putting them on the front foot to build on last year's good performance and deal with additional pressures throughout the coming winter."  

Scottish Labour's health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: "More resource for our over-stretched NHS is always welcome, but the SNP government should explain why they are delivering less funding for this winter than last."

Image source, SPL

Scottish Conservative health spokeswoman Donald Cameron said: "This is another example of the SNP's terrible forward planning coming home to roost.

"There aren't enough staff in these wards, and not enough GPs to prevent people using casualty as a first port of call."

And Alex Cole Hamilton of the Scottish Liberal Democrats said: "SNP ministers are once again applying a tiny sticking plaster in a panic.

Health boards across Scotland are to be given an additional £9m to help ease the burden on emergency departments over the winter months.

The Scottish government said the aim was for patients get the best treatment in the most appropriate place.

Image source, PA

This would prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and free up beds and resources for those who need them most.

Opposition parties questioned why the additional winter funding was lower than last year's £10.7m.

The Scottish government said a recent review of last winter showed accident and emergency waiting times improved despite a rise in admissions.

Here's Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar's amendment: 

Image source, Scottish Parliament

Labour MSP Anas Sarwar says the primary care sector is in crisis.

Mr Sarwar says 830 GPs must be recruited by 2020 says the RCGP.

He concludes saying "The mess in the NHS is of this government's making."