Jackie Baillie has reiterated calls for Health Secretary Michael Matheson to go as more than 40 people have faced waits of at least 12 hours at the A&E department at Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital in each of the last four weeks.

The figure of those having to wait for eight hours or more has also not dropped below 132 over the past four weeks at the local emergency department for people from Dumbarton, the Vale of Leven, Helensburgh and Lomond.

At the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, 347 people waited for more than eight hours with 116 if these facing waits of at least 12 hours.

Meanwhile, more than 17,000 people across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who are waiting for one of the eight key diagnostic tests and investigations have been on the waiting list for more than 13 weeks.

By the end of the quarter ending September 30, a staggering 828,398 Scots were stuck on NHS waiting lists – more than one in every seven Scots.

Meanwhile, almost 7,500 patients in the region, which includes Ms Baillie’s constituency, were waiting for more than a year for a new outpatient appointment.

Jackie Baillie said: “Our NHS is on the brink of disaster as we head into winter – but we are stuck with a lame duck Health Secretary.

“Waiting lists are at an all time high, with thousands of Scots being left to suffer for over a year waiting for treatment and the SNP seem incapable of doing anything about it.

“Lives are already being put at risk by dangerously overburdened A&Es, which will only get worse as the temperatures drop.

“It is shameful that Michael Matheson is still clinging on to his job and drawing his Ministerial salary despite not only lying to the public but also failing to deal with the crisis in our NHS.

“Humza Yousaf must do the right thing and sack Michael Matheson so we can get a new Health Secretary in post to drive down waiting lists and protect our NHS this winter.

“Scottish Labour has repeatedly called for action to ease pressure on hospitals by tackling delayed discharge, supporting NHS staff, and stopping waiting lists spiralling with a comprehensive catch-up plan.”