Alarming new figures reveal the turnaround of cases at West Dunbartonshire and Helensburgh’s nearest accident and emergency were at an all-time low at the start of the year.
More than 40 percent of A&E patients at the Royal Alexandria Hospital, where residents from West Dunbartonshire, Helensburgh and Lomond are urged to attend, were forced to wait more than the targeted four hours to be seen.
Health chiefs insist the sickest people are being seen most quickly and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf insists Omicron-related staff absences were a huge factor.
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie blasted: “This is a deeply worrying development and it is clear that thousands of lives are being put in danger.
“Week after week we have seen all-time lows in A&E services but the SNP Government has failed to act.
“NHS staff are working incredibly hard, especially as the winter pressures start to bite, but they are being badly failed by a government that is not adequately supporting them.
“The Cabinet Secretary’s lack of action in the face of this crisis has been nothing short of a dereliction of duty. Action is needed now to stop lives being lost.”
Statistics published last week show that Scotland’s A&E services recorded the worst ever performance against the four-hour target during the first week of 2022.
For the week ending January 9, only 67.4 percent of A&E attendances were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.
The figure for the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley was well below the Scottish average with just 57.4 percent of patients being seen within the target time.
This equates to 388 people out of the 911 who presented.
Based on this standard, it is the fourth-worst ranked hospital in Scotland.
Some 47 patients in the last week have had to wait more than 12 hours with 160 facing a wait of eight hours or more.
An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesman said: “At the Royal Alexandra Hospital, and at all emergency departments across NHSGGC, patients who need the most urgent care continue to be seen most quickly.
“Some people are facing a long wait, and we’re very sorry for that.
“Our emergency department teams are working incredibly hard to see, treat, diagnose, and admit or discharge patients as quickly as possible.
“In recent weeks pressures on services have continued due to Covid infections, staffing pressures and rising emergency department attendances, which include people who do not need to be there.
“Our emergency departments continue to see people attending with common inappropriate presentations including period pain, dental pain, urinary tract infections, sore throat (less than one day) and rashes.”
He added that people with non-life threatening conditions should seek advice from their GP or NHS24.
Humza Yousaf said: “The week ending January 11, which these figures relate to, was undoubtedly one of the most challenging the NHS has ever faced. The figures have undoubtedly been impacted by Omicron-related staff absences with health boards reporting a 31 percent increase in coronavirus absence compared with the previous week.
“Although the next few weeks will undoubtedly be the most difficult and very challenging, I would expect to see an improvement in performance next week and in the weeks ahead.”
