Health Secretary criticises Lib Dem leader amid no confidence vote reports

Health Secretary Shona Robison has said she will not be distracted'' by reports of moves for her to face a vote of no confidence at Holyrood.

She has faced increasing pressure to stand down over the NHS Tayside scandal, with Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie using his conference speech last week to demand her resignation.

He said he would sound out opposition parties on pressure for the health secretary to stand aside following the affair.

Labour leader Richard Leonard had called on her to resign at First Minister's Questions last week.

Ms Robison was forced to step in when it was revealed NHS Tayside had used charity cash to fund new technology, leading to the chairman and chief executive being replaced.

Questioned about a possible vote of no confidence, on a visit to the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Ms Robison said: I'm not going to be distracted by that.

I'm here to do an important job today, and the rest of the week and the rest of the coming weeks and months - to get on with important things within the NHS.

Willie Rennie's priorities to me seem to be wrong, they are about personal attacks on me, more concerned about a cheap line in an otherwise empty speech.

I didn't hear any ideas in Willie Rennie's speech about the NHS, any ideas that he would bring to the table. Maybe he should focus a little bit more on that rather than personal attacks on me.''

She said the NHS is doing a fantastic job'' but improvements need to be made, adding:It's my job to help drive those improvements. That's what I'm getting on with.'