It was supposed to be Nicola Sturgeon’s legacy, a great achievement that would cement her reputation as a politician of action and compassion.

A National Care Service for Scotland was to transform the way in which the vulnerable are looked after and alleviate pressure on the NHS.

On the face of it, then, a great and timely idea. With an ever-growing elderly population, the health service is stretched to breaking point and so the former First Minister’s proposal looked like a very important step towards a solution.

Unfortunately, as was so often the case with ideas presented during the Sturgeon era of government, the National Care Service plan had not been fully thought through. It was proposed that MSPs vote in favour of it despite there being no detail of the costs involved nor any substantial blueprint for operation.

Backing Sturgeon’s NCS plan demanded a Field Of Dreams level of faith. If you support it, it will come.

In the end, entirely legitimate criticism of the lack of a workable plan for a National Care Service from unions and opposition politicians led to the Scottish Government scrapping the idea.

That mess illustrated perfectly the problem that exists when it comes to government policy on health care. Ministers understand, perfectly........

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