A&E waits: Humza Yousaf's parting gift to our NHS

Responding to new figures showing that only 68% of patients were seen across Scotland within the 4 hour target in March and 11.6% waited over 8 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“These figures for A&E performance for Humza Yousaf's final month as Health Secretary must be an unwelcome parting gift for his successor Michael Matheson. He cannot allow himself and the rest of the SNP to remain distracted by their obsession with breaking up the UK and by the crisis in their own party.

"The crisis in our A&E departments has gone on for so long now it is quickly becoming the norm for patients and staff across Scotland. That is a totally unacceptable state of affairs.

"We need to see urgent action from Michael Matheson to resolve the crisis in our A&E departments. That should start by dropping his government's opposition to our constructive proposals such as an urgent inquiry into the hundreds of avoidable deaths linked to the emergency care crisis, a burnout prevention strategy and a health and social care staff assembly."