The chairman of NHS Orkney has come out in support of independence, saying it is the next step up from devolution.
John Ross Scott said a Yes vote was the safest option for the National Health Service.
The former Liberal Democrat councillor and leader of Scottish Borders Council, said: “I’ve been on a 40-year quest for devolution and having seen the benefits of devolved powers to Scotland come to fruition and prove so successful, independence is the next step. But the journey won’t end there.
“The Scottish Government’s track record of investment in health – and not being sucked into the creeping privatisation agenda of health care south of the border – highlight exactly why the future of the NHS in Scotland can only be secured with a Yes vote.
“We need to devolve powers under an independent Scotland back to communities and I am extremely optimistic about the prospects for a Yes vote in the referendum next month.”
Mr Scott issued his endorsement as Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon arrived in Orkney as part of her independence campaign island tour.
Ms Sturgeon said: “People across Scotland – including here in Kirkwall, Orkney – are waking up to the fact that a Yes vote will give us one opportunity to ensure that we protect our NHS. And by enshrining it in our constitution, we will keep it in public hands forever.”