Labour Lothians MSP, Sarah Boyack today slammed the Scottish Government for failing patients suffering with heart and circulatory disease.
Stats given to Ms Boyack by British Heart Foundation Scotland revealed there has been a 71% increase in people in the Lothians, waiting for an echocardiogram since 2021.
This is compared to an increase in 16% for Scotland as a whole.
Seven individuals have been revealed to be waiting over a year for the scan.
The concerning figures also stretch to outpatient cardiology appointments, where it was revealed in September 2023, that 55% of people were wating longer than the 12-week Scottish Government target.
These statistics come as it was revealed by NHS Lothian Board papers that NHS Lothian must make savings of 7%.
The papers also highlighted that the Scottish Budget also provided “no additional resource to cover inflationary costs and other new and emerging cost pressures”
Commenting on these statistics, SARAH BOYACK said: “These figures highlight the Scottish Government’s disgraceful failures in regard to heart and circulatory disease patients.
“It is even more troubling that while the situation is getting worse, the Scottish Government will not provide any additional resource to NHS Lothian.
“This is particularly worrying given Lothian’s population growth.
“If the Scottish Government does not act urgently, then this situation will continue to spiral into an emergency.
“People suffering heart and circulatory diseases deserve the top notch care our NHS is supposed to deliver.
“Instead, they are forced to endure unacceptable delays due to the Scottish Government’s lack of investment.
“If the Scottish Government doesn’t deliver additional funding soon, they will be letting down heart condition patients across the Lothians.”