Michael Matheson must ‘get a grip’ on the NHS crisis as figures remain dismal despite being under new leadership, Jackie Baillie has said.

For the week ending 16 April 2023, only two thirds (65.7 percent) of emergency department attendees at the RAH in Paisley were admitted, transferred or discharged within the four-hour standard, leaving nearly a third of patients to languish in A&E for over four hours.

Some 92 people had to wait more than eight hours at the Paisley emergency department.

Dumbarton constituency MSP, Jackie Baillie said: “The crisis facing our A&E has gone on for far too long and patients’ lives are being put at risk. These figures were the norm in the depth of winter but the problem is continuing and is now all year round. Among these statistics are people from Dumbarton, the Vale of Leven, Helensburgh and Lomond who have presented at their nearest A&E in Paisley because they need urgent help.

“Michael Matheson has been left a disastrous mess by his predecessor, but now he must take every action available to get a grip on this chaos.

“The SNP may have other priorities this week, but they cannot lose sight of their promise to fix our NHS.

“Matheson must listen to the concerns of frontline staff and act now to take the necessary steps to recover our NHS, beginning by tackling the chaos in our A&E.”