Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to increase the NHS budget in real terms for every year of the next parliament if her party wins the election.
The SNP leader said making the health service “fit for the future” was her “top priority”.
Ms Sturgeon made the comments as a new poll showed a dip in support for the SNP, although they still enjoy a significant lead among voters.
Earlier, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie had called for a “digital revolution” in education during a visit to Edinburgh Science Centre.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Making the NHS fit for the future is voters’ top priority – and it will be our top priority too.
“It was an immense privilege to serve as health secretary for five years – I know just how hard our NHS staff work and I have a personal commitment to ensuring that the government does everything it can to support them.
“I’m proud of much of what has been achieved over the last few years – under the SNP, Scotland’s NHS is receiving record funding, and record numbers of staff are delivering some of the fastest and best-quality care in the UK.
“But there is so much more to do. We have an ageing population – and that’s a good thing – but we need to make sure our health service is designed to meet the new challenges.”
As well as increasing NHS spending, Ms Sturgeon said her party would ensure services remain free at the point of use, as well as build five new elective surgery centres, including in Aberdeen and Inverness.
Her comments in Edinburgh came after Mr Rennie called for an expansion of massive open online university courses (MOOCs), in a bid to provide more options for senior school pupils.
Mr Rennie said: “Expanding access to MOOCs to older school pupils would open young minds and provide them with a new world of opportunity.
“This change would be a digital revolution in the classroom and help get Scotland fit for the future.
“This is not about replacing traditional classroom learning. It is about complementing the hard work that teachers do in our classrooms.”
A TNS poll published yesterday suggested voters were switching away from the SNP in a bid to back a “viable opposition”.
The research shows support for the nationalists is down by 8% in the regional vote, with all other parties except Labour benefiting.
