Pressure’s on the NHS this winter
County A&E waiting times amongst worst in Scotland before Christmas
Accident and emergency waiting times at the University Hospital Hairmyres were the third worst in Scotland in the lead-up to Christmas.
Statistics released by Scottish Labour show that 69 per cent of those attending the department were dealt with in the four-hour standard in the week ending December 17.
The East Kilbride hospital sat in third place in a table of 30, with the University Hospital Wishaw in ninth place with 85.7 per cent, and the University Hospital Monklands in 17th with 91.7 per cent.
Central Scotland MSP Monica Lennon called on NHS Lanarkshire to review the variation in waiting times at the three Lanarkshire sites.
She also pinned some of the blame on the poor weather and the lack of “proper gritting”.
Ms Lennon said: “NHS staff in Hairmyres hospital and Monklands hospital are working harder than ever but the resource available to them simply isn’t keeping up with demand.
“I’m very upset for my constituents who have waited several hours in A&E, many of them victims of trips and falls that could have been prevented if our streets and footpaths were properly gritted.
“Those who worship at the altar of austerity believe it saves the country money, when in reality austerity cuts public services to the bone and endangers lives.
“The Tories are the architect of austerity but the SNP has the privilege of governing Scotland and it’s time we had a budget that invested in the public services that we all rely on.
“Our NHS staff and our older people in particular deserve better than this.”
NHS Lanarkshire said it was “impossible” to draw a direct comparison between the hospitals.