The First Minister faced accusations from Labour that 'a founding principle' of the health service was at stake if Scots were being forced to pay for cancer treatment.
Humza Yousaf has been blasted over NHS waiting lists after it was revealed more than 1,700 chemotherapy treatments were paid for privately in Scotland last year.
It showed 7,805 cataract surgeries, 4,739 hip and knee replacements, 2,055 endoscopies and 1,745 chemotherapy treatments were among the procedures paid for by Scots.The average prices for knee and hip replacements is around £15,000, while endoscopies were £2,026 and the excision of a malignant legion in the trunk or limbs, costing £1,934.
He added: "Health care at the point of need – a founding principle of our NHS. How can the SNP have let it get so bad that patients are having to find the cash to pay for lifesaving cancer treatment?""We know, of course, the impact the pandemic has had on our health services and indeed on those waiting lists.
He added: "That will be cold comfort for people who have to dig deep into their own pockets to pay for healthcare. Sarwar hit back: "The number of people going private each year is going up - and those answers from the First Minister will be no comfort to the 43,000 patients being forced to pay privately.
Scottish politics He continued: "Patients in pain and heartbroken families, trying to scrape together the cash, some even being forced to re-mortgage their homes, to pay for care they should be getting on the NHS.
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