Statistics published this morning have shown that Scotland’s A&E services have recorded the worst ever performance against the four-hour target.

The figures show that for the week ending 9^th January, 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, where residents from West Dunbartonshire and Helensburgh and Lomond are urged to attend, 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, behind the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and University Hospital Wishaw.

Shockingly, 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.

Commenting, Scottish Labour health spokesperson and Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie said: “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 in their efforts to keep the people of Scotland safe.

“The Cabinet Secretary’s lack of action in the face of this crisis has been nothing short of a dereliction of duty.

“This is unacceptable – action is needed now to stop lives being lost.”