Around 200 people were recorded as having waited more than 12 hours to be treated at an Ayrshire and Arran A&E department, according to new data.
Figures published by Public Health Scotland showed that in the past month, 194 people were recorded as having waited over 12 hours to be treated.
The data also added that in the week ending October 1, nearly 32 per cent of people were not treated within the targeted four-hour period.
An Ayrshire MSP is now calling on more to be done to tackle waiting times in Ayrshire and Arran ahead of the winter period.
MSP Sharon Dowey has said that A&E waiting times must be tackled ahead of the winter period when all health boards face even greater pressure.
In addition, Ms Dowey has said that unless the SNP health secretary Michael Matheson makes A&E his top priority, the number of patients waiting longer than twelve hours to be seen in the emergency department could face a dramatic increase.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Sharon Dowey said: “While our NHS staff work tirelessly in Ayrshire to treat patients in the emergency department, there’s only so much that can be done without additional support from the SNP Government.
“This month, we’ve already seen over 194 people waiting longer than 12 hours to be treated at A&E in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and almost a third of patients aren’t seen within the four hour target.
“We know that all health boards come under more pressure in the winter and the last thing that staff and patients want to see is lengthier waiting times in the emergency departments.
“Staff are already working as hard as they can, and they need real support from the SNP Government if waiting times are to come down ahead of winter. That must be a priority for the SNP health secretary if we’re to see any real change for patients in the colder months.”
Health secretary Michael Matheson said that continuing work is being done, as A&E performances are not where they should be.
However, he did point out that some progress has been made.
He said: “A&E performance is not where it needs to be and that is why we’re continuing to work with boards to support the delivery of sustained improvements.
“Progress has been made in reducing the number of long waits within our Emergency Departments with long waits for the month of August down by 23 per cent compared to the same period last year. Nevertheless, we know that the number of long delays remains too high and boards are working hard to reduce this as much as possible.
“Hospital bed occupancy continues to be a major factor impacting on performance. To address this, the Delayed Discharge and Hospital Occupancy Action Plan is being implemented at pace, delivering actions we know work to ensure patients receive the right care in the right setting.
“We are also continuing to manage ongoing pressures on acute care by expanding our Hospital at Home capacity across the country.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here