Statistics published yesterday (15 February) have shown that Accident and Emergency services across the south of Scotland continue to be a real concern.

None of the region’s health boards met the Scottish Government’s legally binding target of 95% of patients being admitted to the hospital, transferred or discharged within four hours of arriving at A&E.

Hundreds of patients spent over eight hours in A&E, with many waiting over 12 hours for treatment.

South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said: “Every week we’re seeing that A&E departments are struggling to cope with the numbers of patients coming through their doors.

“The latest figures are very concerning and lives are being put in danger. The effects of two years of the pandemic are still being felt and it could take years before the NHS is back to pre-Covid levels of waiting times. But many of the problems facing our NHS, including a lack of frontline staff, were there long before Covid, – they have simply been exposed by the pandemic.

“Our fantastic NHS staff are working incredibly hard, especially as the winter pressures continue to bite, but they are being badly failed by a government that is not adequately supporting them in their efforts to keep the people safe.

“The Scottish Government’s lack of action in the face of this crisis has been nothing short of a dereliction of duty.

“This is unacceptable – action is needed now including better resourcing A&E departments to stop lives being lost.”