Two MSPs have accused the Scottish Government’s Health Secretary of ‘failing to get a grip’ on NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s A&E waiting times.
South Scotland Regional List MSPs Sharon Dowey and Colin Smyth, have both told how Humza Yousaf should be sacked for his ‘mismanagement’ of the lengthy waiting times.
Their comments come after the latest data revealed 1,099 people waited over four hours to be seen at A&E in NHS Ayrshire & Arran in the week ending Sunday, November 6.
South Scotland Conservative List MSP, Sharon Dowey, reckons Humza Yousaf has failed this far to get a grip on the situation and warned that, if things fail to improve quickly, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon should ‘re-consider his position’ has Health Secretary.
Ms Dowey said: “In Ayrshire & Arran’s latest statistics, it’s really worrying to see that 1,099 people waited longer than four hours to be seen at A&E.
“A&E staff are working flat out to deliver for patients, but a lack of support from the Scottish Government has meant that many are not being seen as quickly as they should.
“During Humza Yousaf’s first 500 days as Health Secretary we have seen record-low waiting times being set 68 times.
“Clearly, Humza is failing to get a grip on Scotland’s NHS.
“If waiting times continue to spiral out of control, then it is only right that Nicola Sturgeon should re-consider his position as Heath Secretary.”
South Scotland Labour List MSP, Colin Smyth said: “For months I have been calling on the Scottish Government to get a grip on this crisis, and yet we are continually left with record-breaking failures and nothing but empty words and endless excuses from this hopeless Health Secretary.
“As the real winter crisis approaches, staff are exhausted, and they cannot be left to face this crisis alone.
“Patients are going to have worse health outcomes, or even die, as a result of not being seen quickly.
“Scots will be wondering why, as the evidence builds, the First Minister seems to turn a blind eye to the Health Secretary’s failures.”
He added: “It is time for the First Minister to sack her failing Health Secretary and put patients' needs first.”
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “This week we have seen an improvement in overall performance and a decrease in the number of patients waiting longer than 12 hours for treatment.
“There has also been a drop in the number of patients who spent over eight hours in A&E, down from 3,391 last week to 3,021 this week, a 10.9 per cent reduction. This is welcome, but I am clear we will continue to see fluctuations in performance over the course of Winter.”
He added: “The combined impact of pandemic backlogs, Brexit-driven staff shortages, and inflation costs will make this winter the most challenging the NHS has ever faced.”
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