A&E wait times are at their worst weekly rate ever, as thousands of Scots are left to suffer for hours in emergency departments.

Despite repeated calls from Jackie Baillie to get a handle on the crisis in our A&E, the SNP are in a race to the bottom to outdo their own failures.

Figures for the week ending 30 October reveal that appallingly, only 63.1 percent of attendees at emergency departments were seen within the four-hour wait standard, the worst on record and the figure was even lower at the Royal Alexandra Hospital with just 57.1 percent being seen within the target time.

Furthermore, 3,393 patients waited more than eight hours, while 1,447 patients waited for 12 hours before being admitted, transferred or discharged.

Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie said: “The SNP’s race to the bottom must be stopped before things get any worse for our A&E departments.

“For months Scottish Labour has been calling on the Scottish Government to get a handle on this crisis, and yet we are continually left with record-breaking failures and nothing but empty words and endless excuses from this hopeless Health Secretary. People from Dumbarton, the Vale of Leven, Balloch, Helensburgh and Lomond are constantly on the end of some of the longest waits in the country despite the best efforts of staff.

“As the real winter crisis approaches, staff are on their knees with exhaustion and they cannot be left to face this crisis alone. Patients are going to have worse health outcomes or even die as a result of not being seen quickly.

“Scots will be wondering why, as the evidence builds, the First Minister seems to turn a blind eye to Humza Yousaf’s failures.

“It is time for the First Minister to sack her failing Health Secretary and put patient’s needs first.”