MSP calls for £600m to help waiting times
Dowey slams Scottish Government over missed A&E targets
Government chiefs have been told to “get on top of” spiralling waiting times in Ayrshire’s accident and emergency wards.
Just 80 per cent of patients were seen within the four hour target time at the start of July.
That falls far short of the 95 per cent aim of Scottish Government ministers.
Now Sharon Dowey, Conservative MSP for South Scotland, is demanding action following the revelation that no mainland health board met the 95 per cent target at the beginning of the month.
She wants SNP ministers to back Scottish Conservative plans for a one-off investment of £600 million to the NHS
to specifically tackle waiting times.
Mrs Dowey said: “Our heroic frontline staff in accident and emergency departments are under ever increasing pressure.
“They are simply not being fully supported by SNP Ministers who must get on top of this situation.
“It is patients in NHS Ayrshire and Arran who are paying the price by having to wait longer and longer in accident and emergency.
“It is completely unacceptable that only 80.1 per cent were seen within four hours. That is well below the SNP’s target of 95 per cent and waiting times are threatening to spiral out of control on the SNP’s watch.
“Across Scotland, the SNP have not hit their 95 per cent target for over a year and that should be a source of shame.
“Patients in NHS Ayrshire & Arran must be treated as quickly as possible.
“I will continue to push SNP Ministers to back Scottish Conservative plans for a oneoff £600 million investment to specifically tackle waiting times. As we look to remobilise our NHS, hundreds of patients cannot continue to wait hours on end to be treated in accident and emergency in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.”
Scotland’s new health secretary, Humza Yousaf, said his government was “in daily contact with every board and are monitoring the situation closely”.
He added: “Scotland has had the best performing core A&E departments in the whole of UK for more than six years.
“To minimise pressures, this month the Cabinet Secretary announced £12 million in additional funding to health boards across Scotland to support non-COVID emergency care.
“This immediate action will help put measures in place to reduce waiting times for urgent or emergency treatment, with a focus on boosting staffing levels and available beds.
“We continue to work with Health Boards through the Redesign of Urgent Care Programme to ensure people are seen safely and to help the public access the right care in the right place at the right time, often as close to home as possible.
“Through this programme, we are encouraging people to contact NHS 24 on 111 if they think they need A&E but their condition is not life threatening.
“This will ensure people get the right care for them and allow A&E to provide the fastest and most appropriate care for people when and where they really need it.”