New figures show that 45 per cent of patients who presented at University Hospital Ayr’s A&E faced waits longer than the four-hour standard.
Across NHS Ayrshire & Arran, more than 40 per cent of patients endured A&E waiting times in excess of the four-hour mark.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran has apologised to all patients who’ve faced lengthy waiting times at Accident and Emergency departments.
They said that current demand across their whole health and care system was having a major impact on the wait times.
Despite the SNP Government’s target that 95 per cent of patients should be seen within four hours at A&E, just 59.1 per cent of patients were seen within this time frame in NHS Ayrshire and Arran – according to the latest figures.
At University Hospital Ayr, just 55 per cent were seen within this period.
South Scotland Conservative List MSP, Sharon Dowey, said the figures were “extremely worrying.”
She said: “As has been the case for many months now, 40 per cent of patients weren’t seen within the four-hour target set by the Scottish Government in NHS Ayrshire & Arran.
“On top of this, it is extremely worrying that 45 per cent of patients weren’t seen within this period at University Hospital, Ayr.
“It’s clear that the Health Secretary hasn’t done enough to support the health board ahead of the winter period.
“The pressure on NHS Ayrshire & Arran is so severe right now that the health board has had to cancel elective surgeries.
“No health board should have to cancel elective surgeries to relieve pressure, but they’re left with no choice when the Scottish Government continue to offer little support.
“Humza Yousaf must now set out exactly how he is planning to turn things around, to get elective surgeries back on track and improve waiting times.”
NHS Ayrshire & Arran stressed that only inpatient elective surgeries have been “paused.” meaning day case procedures, emergencies, diagnostic and cancer/cancer suspected patients are still being treated on the “relevant elective pathway.”
Joanne Edwards, Director of Acute Services, said: “We apologise to any patient who has to wait longer than the target four-hour period for either discharge or transfer to an appropriate setting from our Emergency Departments.
“Due to current demand across our whole health and care system, and despite our staff working hard to assess and treat patients as quickly as possible, some patients have waited significantly longer than we would wish and we unreservedly apologise for that.
“We are fully committed to ensure that those with emergency and urgent needs are treated as quickly as possible alongside those patients who have been waiting for the longest period.”
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Pandemic backlogs, inflation costs and Brexit influencing staff shortages have all contributed to make this winter the most challenging the NHS has ever faced. Extraordinary rises in flu and increases in Covid and Strep A have heightened pressure on already stretched services.
“We are doing everything we can to help the health service through the remainder of the most challenging winter in its history. This includes easing delayed discharge by purchasing additional care beds for those who are fit to leave hospital, and ensuring adequate resource is in place for NHS24. Our ambulance service staff are also providing treatment, where appropriate, to help avoid hospital admission.
“Our resilience committee is monitoring the situation in emergency departments extremely closely and we remain in daily contact with Health Boards."
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