NATIONALIST politicians are more concerned with their “cuts commission” than cutting NHS waiting times, Richard Leonard said today.

The Scottish Labour leader once again used his weekly First Minister’s questions slot to highlight failings in his country’s health service.

Earlier this week, new stats showed that NHS Scotland had failed to meet an array of targets set by the SNP government.

Mr Leonard drew attention to the increase in the number of patients waiting more than six weeks for key diagnostic tests, such as for cancer.

“One in 13 patients waited too long when Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister,” he said. “Today it is one in five.  That’s a 171 per cent increase in patients waiting too long.”

And he ridiculed her flurry of tweets this week about the SNP-commissioned “Growth Commission,” which offers a fiscal blueprint for Scottish independence. The commission has been criticised for recommending restraint, which some believe could lead to savage cuts.

“The SNP is expending more energy on its cuts commission than cutting NHS waiting times,” Mr Leonard said.

The First Minister said an additional £5 million was being invested to support access to diagnostic tests for suspected cancer patients.

But Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie pressed Ms Sturgeon on the breach of another target — the 12-week treatment time guarantee, which the SNP has enshrined in law.

“The waiting time guarantee means nothing,” he said. “When is the First Minister going to obey her own law?”

Ms Sturgeon acknowledged that the figures were “not good enough as far as I am concerned,” but argued that “1.6 million patients have received their treatment within the required time frame” since the law was introduced.

Conrad Landin is Morning Star Scotland editor.