Scottish election - SNP win an overall majority

The major news in Scotland this week was the Scottish election. The map on the left shows the SNP (yellow) dominance and the Scottish National Party have won an overall majority in the Scottish parliament (Scottish election: SNP majority for second term). Like it or not, the SNP are going to be at the centre of any decision making processes in Scotland over the next five years, but what does this mean for healthcare and the NHS in Scotland? The SNP outlined in their manifesto that they would "ring-fence" NHS spending in their budget, but is this enough? Over the next five years the NHS in Scotland is going to need significant amounts of investment in order to carry on providing a high-quality service to its patients. Continuing with the current level of spending may not be enough. Scotland is facing an ageing population and the government is going to be expected to foot the bill of the countries increasing health burden. But where is this money going to come from? The SNP have said that they will freeze council tax for five years, so not from there. Prescription charges, they were abolished as well. Perhaps the SNP's proposal for minimum-pricing on alcohol will make a return to the forum after it was rejected last year. What will Scotland's reaction be to any proposed NHS reforms in England, will Scotland follow suit? Even the government in Westminster cannot seem to agree on the correct course of action (Clegg fights back with NHS pledge - BBC News). It has been quite widely commented that the SNP defeated Labour in the election due to Labour's 'negative' tactics in contrast to the SNP's 'positive' visions. I just hope that behind the promises and pledges which won the SNP the election there is a sustainable vision for the future of Scotland's economy. And what about the independence referendum? Surely that is something that the country can ill afford at this point in time and could turn out to be a costly waste of time. On the other hand, with the SNP winning such a large majority of seats in the government, perhaps Scotland will become an independent country within my lifetime. I never thought I'd see the day but all of a sudden it becomes quite a realistic, albeit concerning prospect. On one hand, the next five years could either be one of many successes and improvements for Scotland, but on the other it could be a very difficult one if the correct decisions are not made.