'Support' for NHS election trial

Ms Sturgeon said a pilot could take place in two areas

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has dismissed claims that direct elections to health boards in Scotland would destabilise them.

And despite some health authorities opposing the plan, she said some boards had expressed interest in taking part in a trial of the scheme.

Legislation to pilot direct elections is currently going through parliament.

The Scottish Government plans to try it out in two health board areas, one rural and one urban.

NHS bosses in Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Tayside, who are among critics of direct elections, said the move could destabilise the the service by drawing board rooms into party politics.

They also argued boards already included local councillors and were accountable to ministers and the Scottish Parliament.

I would not be pursuing any policy that I thought would have a destabilising effect Nicola Sturgeon Scottish health secretary

But Ms Sturgeon told Holyrood's Health Committee that people should not be fearful of increasing democracy in organisations which are required to take big decisions.

"I would not be pursuing or proposing any policy that I thought would have a destabilising effect on our health boards, so I absolutely, fundamentally disagree with that point of view."

The health secretary said there was a "lot of enthusiasm in a lot of areas" from MSPs, councillors and members of the public to be one of the pilot areas.

She went on: "Notwithstanding some of the evidence from health boards, I have had one or two health board chairs privately say that they would not be adverse to being a pilot board."

Tory health spokeswoman Mary Scanlon said the Health Committee's call for evidence on direct elections to health boards - an SNP manifesto commitment - had produced 54 responses, 15 of which were in favour.

The Scottish Government brought forward the plans to boost public confidence in the health service, citing concern that health authorities had not always properly listened to local views.

One of the earliest acts of the SNP in government was to reverse decisions by the previous administration to close accident and emergency units at Ayr hospital and Monklands in Lanarkshire, which had caused a local outcry.