STROKE PATIENT, 77, KEPT WAITING IN A&E FOR 12 HOURS

A PATIENT who had a stroke was left in A&E for 12 hours before being found a bed on a ward amid a deepening scandal over waiting times.

The alarming case at Ayr Hospital, involving a 77-year-old, was one of several uncovered by the Scottish Daily Mail in Ayrshire and Arran.

They also included a 72-year-old with heart failure and people suffering from pneumonia, haemorrhages and lung disease – all kept waiting for more than three times the Scottish Government target of four hours in A&E.

Tory health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: ‘These figures are disturbing and show the SNP are out of touch with the true state of the NHS in Scotland.’ The delays highlighted in Ayrshire and Arran were between September and the first week of December.

Even before the winter hit, one patient was left for 22 hours and 13 minutes at Wishaw General Hospital. In NHS Highland, three patients were delayed for more than 1 hours.

The Scottish Government’s target is for 95 per cent of people to be dealt with within four hours. But just over 88 per cent were in the latest figures for the week ending January 10.

Angie Macleod, communications manager for the Stroke Association in Scotland said: ‘When someone has a stroke it is vital that they get to a specialist stroke unit as soon as possible.’ Liz Moore, director for acute services at NHS Ayrshire and Arran, said: ‘I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any delays and to thank those affected for their patience and understanding.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Unnecessary delays in A&E are not acceptable. However, there are occasions when a patient will stay in A&E longer than four hours because of the specific care they need.’

He added: ‘ NHS Ayrshire & Arran have reviewed the treatment offered to these patients and provided reassurance that, based on medical decisions, the care offered was appropriate and in the right location for the immediate needs of the patients.’