Patients face a "summer of hell" as "depressing" new figures reveal the true toll taken on Paisley's Royal Alexandra Hospital by a new rise in covid cases.
Fresh fears have been expressed as Paisley's struggling A&E faces a fresh slump in performance.
It comes as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde bosses urge patients to stay away from hospitals unless their condition is "very urgent or life-threatening" for the second time in less than a week.
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NHS data shows hundreds of patients at Paisley's hospital waited hours for treatment as waiting times rise again and performance slumps again.
Figures reveal that just 56.5 per cent of the 1,159 patients who sought treatment at the Corsebar Road hospital's emergency department were seen in line with the Scottish Government's four hour A&E wait time policy.
More than 700 patients waited more than four hours for treatment in the week until June 26.
The Scottish Government's own targets call for 95 per cent of patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged with the timeframe - a target which has been widely missed since the pandemic began.
A&E figures enjoyed a slow recovery for a two week spell before plummeting repeatedly in recent weeks.
The Scottish Government has been accused of ignoring the crisis facing the NHS as conditions for struggling staff and patients worsen.
Paisley-based politician Neil Bibby, who was instrumental in pressuring Holyrood health supremo Humza Yousaf into visiting the under-pressure RAH in March, branded the figures "unacceptable".
He told the Express: "These figures are utterly depressing with almost one in two people waiting over four hours. That is unacceptable and incredibly worrying.
"Our heroic NHS staff are not to blame for this. They continue to do the best job that they can but are being failed by the Health Secretary and the health board who’ve not done anywhere near enough as this situation has unfolded.
"We are used to seeing a crisis like this in the winter, but this is a summer crisis for our NHS.
The Labour West Scotland MSP, added: "This is really serious and it is the responsibility of Humza Yousaf to get a grip of this situation, to ease the pressure on staff and to give patients the health service they need and deserve."
Health board bosses have blamed a fresh surge in covid cases fuelled by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants for new pressures on emergency treatment and have warned of "long waits".
Figures show 504 A&E patients who attended the RAH last week waited more than four hours for treatment.
Some 160 waited eight hours or more, while 38 faced a wait of more than 12 hours.
Scotland wide figures show 9,000 patients endured A&E waits of more than four hours as compliance against the four hour target sits at 67.5 per cent across the country.
Labour's Health spokesman Paul O'Kane also hit out at the Scottish Government, saying: "I fear that staff and patients will face a summer of hell if the Scottish Government keep churning out their spin and fail to act.
“The more we hear Nicola Sturgeon or Humza Yousaf talk about pandemic pressures the clearer it becomes that the SNP Government haven’t delivered a proper NHS recovery plan, a plan that should’ve been filled with things we learned about the NHS during the pandemic.
The Barrhead-based West Scotland MSP also said: "There are pandemic pressures but there have also been 15 years of SNP Government, 15 years of cuts and mismanagement which left our NHS frail and ill prepared.
“The first thing the SNP can do is admit something is terribly wrong with our A&E systems and then act to address those problems for the sake of patients and staff who are suffering."
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde bosses once again warned the public to stay away from their hospitals if they can, saying they are "busier than ever".
It is thought one in 15 Scots is currently suffering from Covid.
The board say 457 in-patients across their hospitals had the virus on Wednesday, up from 277 on June 21 - and warned hospital occupancy sits at
90.6 per cent.
They also said covid was impacting on staff, presenting: "significant pressures on EDs and front door services".
Dr Scott Davidson, Deputy Medical Director for Acute Services for NHSGGC highlighted the significant pressure facing frontline teams as they battle to look after patients in the most urgent need of care.
He said: “Our staff are working around the clock to make sure we continue to see the sickest patients coming to our A&Es but we’re over capacity. Services, quite frankly, are busier than ever, creating a bottleneck at the front door, and as a result, patients unfortunately are having to wait long periods of time to be treated.”
The clinician pointed patients to other pathways available to get treatment faster and to help support frontline teams by spreading demand, saying: "Unless it’s life-threatening or very urgent, do not come to A&E where you will likely wait many hours for treatment. Use your pharmacy, phone your GP or call 111 to access NHSGGC’s virtual A&E. You might still face a wait to use these services, but for most people, you’ll be seen much faster than if you come to A&E.”
They say more, and sicker, patients are also presenting at A&E as a result of holding off during the height of previous pandemic waves, which alongside high staff absence due to covid is almost sinking services.
They also reminded residents to follow protocols designed to slow the spread of the virus.
Dr Davidson added: “We’re in summer and our A&Es are comparable, if not busier than we’d normally expect during the winter months. The pressures run throughout the service, with beds unavailable for ongoing treatment within our hospitals as we manage many challenges.”
But the Scottish Government continue to defend their position on Scotland's NHS, saying: "Despite the continued pressure from the pandemic on hospitals and services, more than two-thirds of patients are being seen in our A&E departments within the four-hour target.
“We want people to get the right care in the right setting and for many A&E will not be the most suitable place for their healthcare need. People should consider whether their condition is an emergency, such as a stroke, heart attack or major trauma, before going to A&E."
She added: "Our new Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative programme, which is supported by £50 million of funding, looks to support the implementation of a range of measures to reduce A&E waiting times and improve patient experience, this includes alternatives to hospital-based treatment.
"Scotland continues to have the best performing A&Es in the UK, outperforming those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for over six years."
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