A top medical expert believes the decision on whether Aberdeen Royal Infirmary will get major trauma centre status is the government’s “most important decision” since 1948.
Professor Hugh Pennington said getting the lifesaving facility was the most “vital” question for “healthcare in the north of Scotland since the founding of the NHS itself”.
The SNPs’ manifesto has pledged that Aberdeen will be part of a “network” of trauma centres – but critics have dismissed the commitment as “spin”.
Almost 3,500 concerned residents have signed a petition demanding the SNP do not renege on their promise to develop ARI as a major trauma centre, along with Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Prof Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, said: “The decision on major trauma centre status for ARI will be the most important decision taken by any government about health care in the north of Scotland since the founding of the NHS itself.
“It is vital that the next Scottish Government takes the right decision.”
In 2014, then Health Secretary Alex Neill announced Aberdeen would be one of the four sites given major trauma centre status – but his successor Shona Robison has rowed-back on the commitment, claiming senior clinicians have doubts about the viability of such a facility in the north-east.
Last week, Ms Sturgeon reiterated her commitment that the Granite City would be part of a major trauma network – and added the SNP had increased funding for NHS Grampian by £300million each year.
But Scottish Labour’s Aberdeen Central candidate Lewis Macdonald demanded the first minister “commit to a major trauma centre at ARI”.
He added: “Nicola Sturgeon should match (Scottish Labour leader) Kezia Dugdale’s commitment to a major trauma centre at ARI when she visits Aberdeen today.
“If she fails to make a clear and specific commitment, the only way to secure a major trauma centre at ARI will be to vote Labour on Thursday.”
The Scottish Conservatives has also backed delivering major trauma centre status for Aberdeen.
The other candidates in Aberdeen Central are the SNP’s Kevin Stewart, the Tories’ Tom Mason and the Liberal Democrats Ken McLeod.