SCOTTISH LABOUR has accused the SNP of having let down patients stuck in ambulances outside hospitals for hours waiting on admission.

Figures released  by the Scottish Ambulance Service after a freedom of information request show that every hospital in Scotland has seen at least one turnaround time of over an hour this year.

The longest wait — over 18 hours — was found at Airdrie’s University Hospital Monklands. The figures were revealed just days after the Scottish government came under fire for mothballing plans for the hospital £2.1 billion replacement.

Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “These deeply worrying figures show patients are being let down on the SNP’s watch.

“While patients are waiting for help, ambulances are stuck outside hospitals for hours on end.

“These long waits are a sign of the dangerous amount of pressure on our overstretched hospitals.

“We need action to support hospitals and give patients the ambulance service they deserve, tackling delayed discharge to free up beds, fixing the crisis in A&E and properly supporting hardworking NHS staff.”

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “These waits prevent our crews from getting back out on the road to treat other patients, and we are working closely with health boards to support their efforts to improve the situation.”

Health Secretary Angela Constance said: “A&E departments continue to experience significant pressure. This is not unique to Scotland with other UK nations facing similar demands.

“However, I am clear that it is unacceptable for patients to be waiting too long to receive the care they need, and that is why in the first 100 days of government we will be bringing forward a new national plan for hospital flow.”