Humza Yousaf must be sacked for ‘dangerous negligence’, Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack has said, as the party revealed that the number of patients waiting over 12 hours to be seen in Accident and Emergency in Lothian has soared.
Statistics have shown that, in the year from November 2021 to October 2022, a shocking 15,936 people in NHS Lothian spent more than 12 hours in A&E waiting to be seen – despite an SNP government commitment to see 95% of patients within four hours.
This figure has spiralled in recent years, with the number of people waiting more than 12 hours now around 18 times higher than the same period in 2018/19.
With A&E services in disarray and the situation only worsening throughout the winter, Scottish Labour is warning that lives will be lost due to the SNP-created A&E crisis.
Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said: “The facts are plain for all to see – NHS Lothian’s A&E services have been plunged into a deadly freefall by Humza Yousaf’s dangerous negligence.
“Despite the efforts of hardworking staff, the number of patients spending a shocking 12 hours waiting in A&E has soared this year.
“The SNP’s mismanagement of our NHS is putting lives at risk – we urgently need a real plan to put a stop to this chaos and protect services in Lothian.”
The Scottish Conservatives are also calling for Yousaf’s sacking. A spokesperson said: “With each passing week, Humza Yousaf continues to preside over complete chaos in our A&E departments.
“His tenure as Health Secretary has been nothing short of a disaster and Nicola Sturgeon must sack him immediately.”
Number of A&E patients waiting more than 12 hours:
| Year to October 2019* | Year to October 2022* | Change (%) | Change (times higher) | |
| NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 1557 | 8038 | 416% | 5 |
| NHS Borders | 56 | 2925 | 5123% | 52 |
| NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 43 | 392 | 812% | 9 |
| NHS Fife | 4 | 1053 | 26225% | 263 |
| NHS Forth Valley | 206 | 2899 | 1307% | 14 |
| NHS Grampian | 28 | 1685 | 5918% | 60 |
| NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 197 | 5997 | 2944% | 30 |
| NHS Highland | 20 | 667 | 3235% | 33 |
| NHS Lanarkshire | 851 | 6267 | 636% | 7 |
| NHS Lothian | 910 | 15936 | 1651% | 18 |
| NHS Orkney | 4 | 8 | 100% | 2 |
| NHS Shetland | 0 | 1 | ||
| NHS Tayside | 3 | 27 | 800% | 9 |
| NHS Western Isles | 0 | 0 | ||
| NHS Scotland | 3879 | 45895 | 1083% | 12 |
* 12 month period from November to October
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