Colin Smyth MSP

Statistics published on Tuesday have shown that during the week ending 2 October, A&E departments in South Scotland have continued to miss 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.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway saw the highest figure in the south region at 74.9 per cent; with 70.4 per cent for NHS Borders; 65.7 per cent in Ayrshire and Arran; 63.4 per cent for NHS Lothian and just 52.2 per cent for NHS Lanarkshire.
Hundreds of patients across the south of Scotland were also forced to wait over eight hours and shockingly, some over 12 (see table below).
South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said: “The Scottish Government once had a target that 95% of patients would be seen within four hours but that seems to be a thing of the past.
“Rather than take action to end this crisis, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf would rather avoid scrutiny and turn his back on frontline NHS staff, who work incredibly hard to keep us safe.
“Years of cuts and neglect have left our NHS unprepared for the level of demand it now faces.
“With industrial action looming we are facing a humanitarian crisis in the NHS this winter.
“It’s time for the Scottish Government to get to grips with this crisis once and for all.”