Government bosses have been slated for inaction after Ayrshire health chiefs apologised for unacceptable waiting times in Ayrshire’s accident and Emergency departments.

West Scotland MSP Jamie Greene hit out after the latest A&E waiting times stats in NHS Ayrshire and Arran showed that only 80 per cent were being seen within four hours, massively below the SNP’s 95 per cent target.

Across Scotland as a whole only 75.1 per cent of patients were seen within the SNP’s four-hour target time, the third week in a row that waiting times had plummeted to a record low.

Greene added a “Summer of inaction” from the Health Secretary has led to NHS Ayrshire and Arran reaching breaking point.

Medical director Dr Crawford McGuffie said: “NHS Ayrshire and Arran is committed to providing safe and effective healthcare and treatment for our population in the right place at the right time.

“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the delivery of health and care services and we are experiencing significant pressures across the entire health and care system.

“At times, we experience a high demand for our urgent and unscheduled care services. All staff work tirelessly during these periods of heightened activity to provide care to our patients in the safest way possible.

“We apologise to any patient who has to wait longer than would have normally been the case at these times, for either discharge or transfer to an appropriate setting from our Emergency Departments.

“We are determined to continue to make every effort in finding ways to eliminate waits for patients and to provide quality care within the waiting times standards.”

Jamie Greene said: “Alarm bells have been ringing for some time with worrying A&E figures in local hospitals and now they appear to have reached breaking point.

“Humza Yousaf’s Summer of inaction has overwhelmed our heroic staff on the frontline and people across our community are finding it increasingly difficult to access crucial care services.

“The SNP Government’s NHS Recovery plan simply arrived too late to prevent this crisis and now waiting times are threatening to completely spiral out of control.

“Far too many patients are waiting hours on end to be seen after arriving at A&E, a situation.

The Scottish Government were contacted for a response.