Rising ambulance waiting times across Ayrshire have been blasted as “abysmal”.
South Scotland MSPs Brian Whittle and Sharon Dowey have criticised the Scottish Government for the growing waiting times for an ambulance within NHS Ayrshire & Arran.
Their comments come after a Freedom of Information request from the Scottish Conservatives flagged that the longest wait for a ‘purple’ incident – those who are most at risk of dying – since 2018 was an alarming one hour 19 minutes in April this year.
In December 2021, that figure stood at one hour 10 minutes.
‘Purple’ incidents, as categorised by the Scottish Ambulance Service, are patients who are the most urgent incidents and considered to have an immediate, life-threatening condition.
Mr Whittle blasted that these long waiting times as "putting lives at greater risk" and has called on the government to act.
He said: “These figures are just the latest evidence of the SNP’s abysmal response to the challenges facing our health service.
“The idea that someone considered to be most critically in need of help should be waiting over an hour for an ambulance is deeply worrying.
“In situations where every second can count for a patient’s survival, these long waiting times are putting lives at greater risk.
“The First Minister and health secretary [Humza Yousaf] must take responsibility, accept their failures and act to turn things around in the NHS.”
Ms Dowey said: "It is hugely concerning that, on one occasion, an ambulance took just over 79 minutes to arrive at the scene.
“The figures show that the pressures on our ambulance staff have not been confined to the pandemic period, so the SNP government can’t hide behind Covid as an excuse.
“The reality is that they have failed to give overwhelmed ambulance crews in NHS Ayrshire & Arran the resources they have required year after year.
"We need to see the health secretary ramp up support for our health boards and ambulance crews if we’re to see any real change here."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Patient safety remains our priority and we apologise to anyone who has experienced a long wait.
“Despite a rise in demand for higher acuity calls, the ambulance service responded to over 68 per cent of their highest priority calls in under ten minutes and over 99 per cent in under 30 minutes in 2021/22.”
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