Murdo says A&E services in Fife are facing a “terrifying” winter.
His call after new statistics revealed only 71.1% of patients across Scotland were seen within four hours at A&E departments in July, well short of the SNP’s target of 95%.
In Fife, only 73.9% were seen within the target of four hours, with Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital the worst performing with just 64.8% being seen in this timeframe.
Murdo says if waiting times are this bad during the height of summer, he dreads to think how bad the situation will be when winter hits.
He says SNP ministers’ dire workforce planning and flimsy Covid recovery plans have led to a permanent crisis in A&E departments in Fife and has urged them to finally outline a plan that guarantees money will get to frontline care in Fife, rather than being wasted on backroom bureaucracy.
Commenting, Murdo said: “The latest shocking A&E waiting times in Fife point to patients and staff facing a terrifying winter.
“If so many patients are not being seen within four hours at the height of summer in Fife, I dread to think of the chaos we can expect in hospital corridors when winter hits. Hardworking staff in the region are doing an incredible job but years of SNP failure are making their job impossible.
“Dire workforce planning has left A&E departments in Fife dangerously overstretched and Humza Yousaf’s flimsy Covid recovery plan completely failed to remobilise our NHS after the pandemic.”
Murdo continued: “If we are to get a grip on this crisis and ensure A&E services do not completely collapse this winter, then SNP Ministers must finally outline a plan to guarantee money will get to frontline care, rather than being squandered on backroom bureaucracy.”
