Jackie Baillie, John Swinney and Neil Gray.
By Bill Heaney
MSP Jackie Baillie has blasted the SNP Scottish Government, following a fresh slump in A&E performance.
Figures show that performance at Paisley’s A&E department has slumped since July.
Data from the NHS reveals that the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s emergency department saw 75.8 per cent of patients within a four hour target time in the week ending July 27th.
The figure was well short of the Scottish Government’s own target, which demands that 95 per cent of patients are admitted, discharged or transferred within a four hour timeframe.
But the target has not been met since the Covid pandemic, despite the SNP’s assurance over a Covid Recovery plan for the NHS.
But data shows that performance at Paisley’s A&E slumped afresh since July.
The latest figures for A&E performance reveal a downward trajectory.
Just 60.9 per cent of patients were seen within the four hour standard guideline in the week ending September 28th.
Only 50.8 per cent of patients were seen within the timeframe the previous week.
Dumbarton MSP Baillie hit out at the data, saying: “I commend the efforts of hard-working NHS staff, who have been under constant pressure since the pandemic.
“But the SNP is setting them up to fail and these shocking figures are a damning indictment of their mismanagement of our health service.
“Despite Health Secretary Neil Gray promising to take action on waiting times, the number of people facing waits of over eight and 12 hours is rising.
“It is also deeply concerning that this is happening during the summer months, when we know to expect additional pressure on our health service during the winter period.
“John Swinney and the SNP have no meaningful plan, no strategy and no idea to save our NHS. They should hang their heads in shame at the utter chaos they have presided over.”
Nationwide data from Public Health Scotland reveals that 14,904 patients spent more than eight hours in A&E and 5,953 spent more than 12 hours in A&E during August.