The incompetence and inaction of this SNP government will cost lives, Scottish Labour has said today, as the worst ever weekly A&E statistics have been recorded.

Statistics published this morning have shown that during week ending 11th September 2022, only 63.5% of attendances were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within four hours.

This is the worst performance against the four hour standard on record.

Shockingly, some 3,367 patients spent more than 8 hours in an Emergency Department, which is also the worst on record, with 1,257 patients waiting more than 12 hours.

At NHS Forth Valley only 38.3% patients were seen within four hours.

Commenting, Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “Today’s harrowing statistics are proof positive of this SNP government’s life-threatening inaction.

“Across our nation, thousands of Scots are waiting ridiculous lengths of time for emergency care. Make no mistake – lives will be being lost as a result.

“Long waits in A&E used to be a sign that there were problems and pressures elsewhere in the NHS system, but the SNP have ignored the warnings and now our NHS is in perpetual crisis with thousands of lives being put at risk in A&E departments on a weekly basis.

“While frontline NHS staff work tirelessly around the clock, Humza Yousaf has completely failed to make any meaningful attempt to address the underlying problems or control this crisis.

“If we are to avoid a full-blown humanitarian crisis this winter then the government must act now.”