A call has been issued to the Scottish Government to better support NHS Ayrshire & Arran to meet waiting time targets for physiotherapy appointments.
The Scottish Government states that at least 90 per cent of patients should wait no longer than four weeks to be seen for musculoskeletal appointments from receipt of referral.
However, according to figures from Public Health Scotland, 63.8 per cent of people waited longer than the four week standard for a physiotherapy appointment in NHS Ayrshire & Arran.
South Scotland Conservative List MSP, Sharon Dowey, said that this “is simply not good enough” and that the Scottish Government must support the health board.
She said: “Our physiotherapists in NHS Ayrshire & Arran do a great job at helping patients recover from injuries, get back on their feet after surgery, manage pain and maintain a healthy and independent life.
“They’re doing their best to handle the pressure that the NHS is under, but this becomes all the harder without adequate support from the SNP Health Secretary (Humza Yousaf).
“Having to wait longer than four weeks for an appointment, or facing appointment delays will only cause discomfort and pain to those in Ayrshire waiting to see their physiotherapist.
“With a significant number of people waiting well above three months for an appointment, this should be treated as a matter of urgency for the incoming First Minister and their Health Secretary.”
She added: “Hopefully, under the next First Minister, we’ll see the SNP put the health service first.
“Otherwise, I’m worried that lengthy waiting times for NHS appointments will come to be the norm for those living in Ayrshire – and patients deserve far better than that.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The number of patients being seen at their first outpatient appointment for Musculoskeletal services was slightly lower than the previous quarter, however we are pleased to see an improvement from the same quarter a year ago, and we are determined to improve performance even further.
“In our integrated Health and Social Care Workforce Plan, we committed to creating 225 more MSK Practitioners in primary care to improve access to timely care.
“We remain committed to working with Boards to support a reduction of waiting times.”
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