SCOTTISH Labour has called for urgent action to fill staffing gaps at a flagship hospital to avoid deepening the looming winter crisis of staff absences. 

Workers at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Govan, Glasgow, have reported severe strains on services in recent months with elective surgery cancelled or postponed, a shortage of acute beds, A&E struggling to cope and ambulances queueing.  

Statistics obtained by Labour show that Covid-related absences have risen sharply at the hospital, with the daily average number of staff absent due to Covid at 56 in the week starting August 26, having more than doubled in nine weeks.