A Lanarkshire MSP has branded the rise in cancellation of operations at local hospitals as "hugely depressing" for patients.
Scottish Conservative MSP, Graham Simpson, hit out at the increasing number of planned operations being cancelled in Lanarkshire.
The Central Scotland representative's call comes as new statistics showed 212 operations were cancelled across NHS Lanarkshire in August, with 44 as a result of capacity reasons - an increase from 205 in July.
Mr Simpson called the cancellations "a huge setback" for patients both physically and mentally, saying the Scottish Government's NHS recovery plan has completely failed to remobilise frontline services.
He told Lanarkshire Live : “The continued increase in operations being cancelled is hugely depressing for patients in Lanarkshire who are suffering.
“Many of these patients in NHS Lanarkshire are lying in agony, so being told their operation won’t be going ahead as planned is a major setback both physically and mentally.
“These cancellations are further proof that Humza Yousaf’s flimsy NHS Recovery Plan is failing frontline services in the region.
“His winter plan is too little too late as well and fails to outline how the number of operations taking place in Lanarkshire will increase – as it urgently needs to."
However SNP MSP Collette Stevenson said most operations in NHS Lanarkshire are "cancelled either by the patient themselves or as a result of a clinical reason".
She added: "COVID still affects provision and availability of services, with waves of infection resulting in reduced capacity – due to increased staff absence or from higher demand from emergency departments.
"It’s only right treatment is then prioritised based on clinical need.
"We know the NHS will not recover from the impact of the COVID pandemic in weeks or even months, which is why the Scottish Government’s NHS recovery plan sets out targets over the course of five years.
"Unlike opposition parties, the Scottish Government is being open and honest with people about the scale of the challenge we face.
"Tory attempts to use our NHS as a political football does our hard-working NHS staff no favours.”
Judith Park, NHS Lanarkshire director of acute services said: “Sustained pressure continues across our three acute hospitals and is showing no signs of easing.
"We are facing relentless pressures, bed shortages and staff shortages due to sickness, stress and self-isolation and our hospital sites are all at maximum capacity.
"This has resulted in a small number of planned elective procedures having to be rescheduled and we are working through a number of actions to try to reduce pressure on our sites but the safety of our patients and staff is our top priority."
Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did yo u know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head over to our page to give us a like and share.
