Statistics published earlier this week (29 March) 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.

NHS Ayrshire, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian all had the worst figures on record. With only 66.3 per cent of patients seen within four hours in Ayrshire and Arran; 56.3 per cent in Lanarkshire and 61.7 in Lothian.

South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said: “We now have the highest waiting times for A&E on record.

“NHS Staff are working tirelessly but they aren’t getting the support they need from the Scottish Government.

“Experts have warned that lives have been lost in parts of Scotland due to the crisis in A&E.

“Government Ministers need to wake up to the crisis and act to better support NHS services before more lives are put at risk.”