HEALTH MINISTER Nicola Sturgeon is planning to close a legal loophole that allows private companies to run GP practices.

The Glasgow MSP is looking for an early legislative opportunity to ensure that only traditional providers can run local health services.

She is also unlikely to provide more public funding next year for an independent treatment centre in Strathcaro, Tayside, a further sign of the minister's hostility to private sector involvement in the NHS.

Legislation introduced by the last Labour-Liberal Democrat Scottish Executive made it possible for companies to take over vacant GP practices.

Jack McConnell's administration was criticised in 2006 after it emerged that Serco, a global services firm, was bidding to run a GP practice in Harthill, North Lanarkshire.

The pitch was unsuccessful, but the tender alarmed NHS campaigners, who claimed the health service was wide open to privatisation.

Another GP practice, this time in East Kilbride, was dissolved recently and could result in a private operator moving into the area.

The developments, revealed by the Sunday Herald in March, prompted 20 GPs to write an open letter earlier this year to Sturgeon, as new health minister, calling for action: "We oppose privatisation because it has no good evidence of providing high-quality care for whole populations as opposed to selected profitable patients.

"We ask you to make the necessary changes to the relevant legislation to underwrite your guarantee of no privatisation' of GP services in Scotland."

Sturgeon is now committed to plugging the legal gap, and will look for a slot in the legislative programme this autumn.

A source close to the deputy first minister said: "We are sympathetic to closing the loophole, and we are hopeful of finding a legislative vehicle for it."

The Sunday Herald also understands Sturgeon is not likely to give any further taxpayers' money to the independent treatment centre in Strathcaro, Tayside.

The private centre provides services for NHS patients, but the health minister believes future funding should be kept inside the health service, as opposed to diverting it to the independent sector.

In a speech last year, she said: "I am going to very specifically reject any more taxpayer-funded expansion of the private sector, which is obviously taking a very different view to what is happening south of the border.

"Our approach will be to build NHS capacity. I do not see the stimulation of private-sector competition as being in the interests of the health service."

A spokesman for the Scottish government said: "We have made clear our commitment to an NHS rooted firmly in the public sector. Our strategy for health, Better Health Better Care, sets out to pursue an investment strategy that builds public sector services supported by the use of the voluntary sector and the social economy."

A spokesman for trade union Unison said: "We would welcome any plan to stop private firms cashing in on GP surgeries, something Unison argued against when the legislation was first introduced. "We urge the cabinet secretary to plug this gap as soon as possible."