Jamie Greene MSP has urged the Scottish Government to address the critical waiting times experienced by patients of NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

New figures from ISD Scotland showed that NHS Ayrshire and Arran had the longest waiting times for any health board in Scotland.

The figures showed that 3,100 patients (36 per cent) had to wait longer than the Scottish Government’s six-week target for diagnostic tests.

West Scotland MSP Jamie Greene said: “These figures are extremely serious, many conditions such as cancer need to be quickly diagnosed to give the patient a better chance of over-coming the condition.

"Over one third of all patients are not receiving their diagnostic tests quick enough and it is simply not acceptable.”

“The responsibility falls on the Scottish Government. Time and time again NHS Ayrshire and Arran is being let down.

We’ve experienced far too many problems in the last two years alone and something desperately needs to be done to stop this health board descending into crisis.”

“I will be writing to Shona Robison urging her to take real action to get these waiting times down.

"We have the worst waiting times in Scotland and we should not settle for this.”