NEW figures have revealed that more than one operation a day is cancelled in Ayrshire because of capacity or non-clinical reasons.

A total of 136 scheduled operations were cancelled by NHS Ayrshire and Arran between February and May this year.

The rise in cancelled operations comes after strong performances earlier in the year where only nine operations were cancelled due to capacity issues in January.

South of Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has blamed the increase in cancellations on growing pressures on staff numbers at the health board.

Mr Smyth said: “These latest figures are deeply disappointing for patients in Ayrshire and Arran. The staff are working round to clock but there is only so much they can do. We are facing a staffing crisis, morale at rock bottom in the NHS and the Government are not taken these concerns seriously.

“Our NHS staff are well respected locally but residents but there simply aren’t enough of them due to a lack of funding by the Government and a real recruitment crisis. We have seen these figures get worse every month this year.

“We need the Government to focus on the day job. Ayrshire and Arran deserve so much better than this.”

Last month saw 38 operations cancelled because of capacity or non-clinical reasons.

The statistics come on the back of a report produced earlier in June that showed patients waiting to be seen for chronic pain conditions in Ayrshire and Arran were having to wait over 16 weeks to be seen.