By Bill Heaney
Lengthy ambulance turnaround times of almost ELEVEN hours are putting the lives of people in West Dunbartonshire, Helensburgh and Lomond on the line despite the best efforts of staff, Jackie Baillie has said.
Statistics obtained by Scottish Labour have shown dangerous and unacceptable ambulance turnaround times reported at hospitals across Scotland.
Crews are finding themselves caught up at A&E departments waiting to hand over patients before being cleared to respond to another emergency.
The longest wait recorded, between October 1, 2021 and January 31, 2022 was 10 hours and 43 minutes at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, the receiving A&E for patients from the Dumbarton constituency.
Earlier this winter, Scottish Labour revealed that the average ambulance turnaround time had almost doubled between 2014 and 2021.
The Dumbarton constituency MSP said: “These maximum turnaround times are incredibly worrying and show the immense strain that our ambulance service is under.
“For people in West Dunbartonshire, Helensburgh and Lomond they already face lengthy journeys to the region’s nearest A&E at Paisley. It is extremely worrying that services are not properly resourced and turnaround times are spiraling out of control.
“Make no mistake – turnaround times of this length are both dangerous and unacceptable.
“Staff are working tirelessly at all hours but Humza Yousaf has entirely failed to support them throughout the winter ambulance crisis.
“We have heard stories of people dying in ambulances on driveways due to lengthy waits, whilst others have died before the ambulance even arrives.”
Cole-Hamilton: A&E waiting times are proof of colossal SNP failure
Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today urged the Health Secretary to ramp up his efforts in meeting A&E targets, as Public Health Scotland’s newly published statistics showed that only 74.4% of A&E attendances were seen within four hours, well below the 95% target set by the Government.
Scottish Liberal Democrats have previously called for an immediate Burnout Prevention Strategy to protect the physical and mental wellbeing of NHS staff, however it was voted down by the SNP/Green government.
Mr Cole-Hamilton, left, said: “The target is being missed week after week despite NHS staff continuing to work around the clock. The SNP has colossally failed our health system – not just during the pandemic but for the past 15 years.
“This Government failed to deliver a solid NHS recovery plan, voted down our Burnout Prevention Strategy and still haven’t responded to our proposals for a Health and Social Care Staff Assembly.
“Patients’ lives are potentially at risk, our NHS heroes are exhausted and the situation demands immediate and systemic change.
“The Health Secretary must ramp up his efforts, and deliver a new plan that is backed up with the new staff and resources necessary to get the health service back on its feet.”
Pictures by Bill Heaney: Pauline Howie, head of the ambulance service, Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie and LibDem leader Alex Cole Hamilton.