The party said the move - which would cost �150m a year - would introduce a starting salary of almost �19,000.

Health spokeswoman Nicola Sturgeon has also promised that no patient would wait more than six months to see a specialist under an SNP government.

I think this kind of pay increase is exactly what nurses need

James Kennedy RCN Scotland

And she said the party would bring in a not-for-profit trust scheme to build new hospitals while scrapping the private finance initiative (PFI).

Ms Sturgeon made the policy announcements in a speech to an audience of health professionals in Edinburgh.

She said an SNP government would increase nurses and midwives' pay by 11% within a year in a move which would impact on 52,000 staff.

"What I have announced is a statement of good faith, a statement of intent and a clear indication of my commitment, my personal commitment, to tackling staff shortages within the NHS," she said.

"Above all it is a Scottish solution to a Scottish problem.

Nursing vacancies

"It is using the powers that the Scottish Parliament has right now to enhance the recommendations of the UK pay review body and give Scotland that competitive edge in nurse recruitment that we so badly need."

The Royal College of Nursing (Scotland) welcomed the pledge - but said more needed to be done.

Scottish secretary James Kennedy said nurses were moving south because they got better pay, a better career structure and subsidised accommodation.

Nicola Sturgeon unveiled new policies

"I think this kind of pay increase is exactly what nurses need," he added.

"It is a very significant proposal, particularly that it will be done in the first year."

Ms Sturgeon also announced on Wednesday that the SNP would extend the Patient Guarantee to ensure that no patient would wait longer than six months for a first out-patient appointment by the end of an SNP term in office.

She claimed the present guarantee only covered the time which the patient waited for treatment after being diagnosed and assessed by a consultant.

"It therefore totally fails to take into account the period of time that the patient has to wait to actually see the consultant in the first place," she said.

Seeking backing

Ms Sturgeon argued that replacing PFI with a not-for-profit trust would save millions of pounds.

She is now writing to every Scottish health board to seek backing for the public trust idea.

However, deputy health minister Frank MacAveety said the SNP was aiming to "drive a wedge" between Scottish staff and those elsewhere in the UK through the pay proposal.

Their pledge to extend the Patients' Guarantee may sound good but where is the evidence that they can make this work?

Frank MacAveety Labour MSP

The Labour MSP said: "The Nationalists have shown once again that they can't be trusted with our vital public services.

"What we have seen today are three pledges from the SNP which at first glance may appear superficially attractive but, on closer examination, would prove at best meaningless and at worst would begin the break up of the National Health Service.

"Their pledge to extend the Patients' Guarantee may sound good but where is the evidence that they can make this work?" he asked.

"They have no plans to reform the health service and, as we know, their not-for-profit trusts can't deliver the investment we need."

Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Margaret Smith said: "The SNP are only proposing some cosmetic changes to existing executive policies. It is clearly nothing radical or innovative."