FIRST MINISTER Nicola Sturgeon has been forced to apologise over ongoing pressures facing Scotland’s health services, after she was slammed for her government’s handling of an ongoing ambulance crisis. 

The SNP leader told MSPs during First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) in Holyrood today that the military could be brought in to help with the backlog in emergency services. 

Ms Sturgeon was challenged on the lengthening waiting times for ambulances across Scotland, with Labour leader Anas Sarwar urging her not to use the pandemic as cover for government failures.

Unite has called on the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) to declare a “major incident” status at hospitals, as average waiting times reach six hours.

Mr Sarwar has now backed Unite’s calls, urging the First Minister to ask for help from the army. 

He said the SNP’s reaction has not been good enough so far, adding: “This isn’t about the pandemic. There were problems before it. This is an avoidable human tragedy on a heartbreaking scale.

“Pandemic or no pandemic, there’s a simple truth: no-one should be left to die on the floor while waiting 40 hours for an ambulance.”

Ms Sturgeon apologised “unreservedly” for long ambulance waiting times, announcing talks were underway with the military — which Unite has welcomed. 

She also admitted waiting times for some patients were “not acceptable,” adding: “A range of actions have already been taken to address these challenges, for example additional funding to support new recruitment.”

The calls come just a day after Health Secretary Humza Yousaf came under fire for claiming that people should “think twice” before calling for an ambulance.

He will make a statement to Parliament next week on the issue.