Statistics published on Tuesday have shown that during the week ending 30 October, Accident and Emergency (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 was sitting at 76.3 per cent; NHS Borders was 66.6 per cent; while Ayrshire and Arran was 63.4 per cent; 62.7 per cent for NHS Lothian and just 49.1 per cent for NHS Lanarkshire.

However, all health boards in south Scotland, except Dumfries and Galloway, saw large numbers of people waiting over eight hours and shockingly, some over 12 (see table below).

Colin Smyth said: “For months I have been calling on the Scottish Government to get a grip on this crisis, and yet we are continually left with record-breaking failures and nothing but empty words and endless excuses from this hopeless Health Secretary.

“As the real winter crisis approaches, staff are exhausted, and they cannot be left to face this crisis alone. Patients are going to have worse health outcomes or even die as a result of not being seen quickly.

“Scots will be wondering why, as the evidence builds, the First Minister seems to turn a blind eye to the Health Secretary’s failures.

“It is time for the First Minister to sack her failing Health Secretary and put patient’s needs first.”