A local MSP has spoken of his concerns regarding average ambulance turnaround times.
Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Douglas Ross says he is “deeply alarmed” that the average ambulance turnaround time at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin hit almost two hours recently.
Ambulances faced a two hour turnaround time at Dr Gray’s Hospital recently. Inset: Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Douglas Ross
Figures released by the Scottish Ambulance Service confirm that in the week of December 30, the median turnaround time hit one hour 58 minutes, 30 seconds.
Mr Ross says the “appalling” waiting times are no fault of “dedicated” ambulance crews who have been “abandoned” by SNP Ministers who have failed to give crews and NHS Grampian the resources they need to meet patient demand.
He went on to state that “lives will be at risk” with these soaring waiting times and that the SNP are presiding over a “permanent crisis” in local NHS services.
The Highlands and Islands MSP has urged SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray to urgently address the near two-hour turnaround time at Dr Gray’s and ensure that money invested in the NHS is getting to frontline services, so that patients requiring emergency care in Moray are treated as soon as possible.
Mr Ross said: “I am deeply alarmed that the ambulance turnaround time hit almost two hours on average at Dr Gray’s.
“This time of year always puts extra pressure on our NHS but these appalling waiting times are scarcely believable.
“The waits are no fault of our dedicated ambulance crews who have been pushed beyond breaking point in trying to treat patients as quickly as possible. Overwhelmed crews have been left abandoned by SNP Ministers who have failed to fully resource NHS Grampian and rural healthcare services.
“Turnaround times like this means lives will be at risk and while issues escalate in winter, it is clear that the inaction from SNP ministers means there is a permanent crisis in Moray’s NHS services.
“These latest figures must be an urgent wake-up call for SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray. He needs to ensure that money being invested in the NHS is getting to the frontline as quickly as possible so that patients in Moray know that ambulances will arrive on time and that they also won’t be forced to wait in them for hours while parked outside hospitals.”