THE NHS is in decline in Scotland, the country’s public spending watchdog warns in a new report, as Labour says that the threatened closure of Monklands Hospital in Lanarkshire would be a “great injustice.”

An Audit Scotland report published today finds that health boards are “struggling to break even” and that no part of the country has met all of the eight key national targets for the service. One board, NHS Lothian, failed to achieve any.

Following increased pressure on NHS services and lengthening waiting lists, Auditor General Caroline Gardner said that “decisive action” was now needed and that progress had been “too slow.”