By Lucy Ashton
Jackie Baillie has demanded Humza Yousaf steps in to sort out the A&E crisis which saw less than two thirds of people at Paisley’s RAH emergency department being seen within the Scottish Government’s own target time.
Statistics published this morning have shown that for the week ending May 8th, only 58.3 percent of attendances at the hospital, where patients from the Dumbarton constituency go in an emergency, were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within four hours.
This is well below the Scottish average of 69.6 percent over the past week. Out of the 1110 who attended at the A&E department at the RAH, 172 were left waiting for eight hours or more and 51 faced waits of 12 hours plus for treatment.
The RAH continues to be one of the hospitals worst impacted by lengthy A&E waiting times.
MSP Jackie Baillie and SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf.
Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson and Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie said: “Another week, another set of damning statistics from Scotland’s A&E departments – in particular the RAH where my constituents are sent when in desperate need of medical attention.
“These are not mere numbers – these are mothers, fathers, children and grandparents. These are the good people of Dumbarton, the Vale of Leven, Balloch, Helensburgh and Lomond who already face lengthy journeys to their nearest emergency department.
“A&E staff are working tirelessly but they are being failed by a Cabinet Secretary who is more concerned with bolstering the ranks of spin doctors than supporting frontline nursing staff.
“With so many people waiting unacceptable lengths of time, it is clear that this winter NHS crisis has become a perpetual crisis. This cannot be allowed to continue. Humza Yousaf must listen to the staff and patients and act to save lives.”