Jackie Baillie has warned health minister Michael Matheson of the ‘deadly mess’ in A&E left by his predecessor, as statistics show one of the worst monthly performances on record.

During February 2023, only 69.7 percent of attendances were seen and admitted, transferred or discharged within the four-hour standard, despite the hard work of the staff.

And, despite performance stabilising at Paisley’s RAH over the past few weeks, the most recent figures show that only just over half of people who attended were seen within four hours.

Shockingly 210 people waited more than eight hours for care and 85 were faced with a wait of 12 hours or more at the Royal Alexandra Hospital where patients from Dumbarton, the Vale of Leven, Helensburgh and Lomond attend.

Dumbarton constituency MSP, Jackie Baillie said: “Michael Matheson has a formidable job ahead of him and his new boss has left him a serious mess to clean up.

“Under Humza Yousaf’s stewardship, A&E wait times skyrocketed and countless lives were lost as a result. Although figures at the RAH have stabilised in recent weeks, the latest statistics show that only just over half of people who attended the A&E unit were seen within four hours and shockingly 210 had to wait for eight hours or more to be treated.

“Mr Yousaf left his role in health without resolving any of the issues such as waiting times and delayed discharge that would have eased the pressure on emergency departments and helped hardworking staff do their jobs.

“I sincerely hope that Michael Matheson will prove more up to the job. He should start by tackling the chaos in A&E, the 1 in 7 Scots on waiting lists, and the failure to meet cancer treatment targets.”