Lothians MSP Sarah Boyack has hit out at The Scottish Government for failing patients who are suffering with heart and circulatory disease.
Statistics provided to Ms Boyack by British Heart Foundation Scotland revealed there has been a 71% increase in people in the Lothians, waiting for an echocardiogram since 2021.
This compares with an increase of 16% in Scotland as a whole.
Seven people have been waiting more than a year for the necessary scan.
The figures also extend to outpatient cardiology appointments, as it was revealed in September 2023, that 55% of people were wating longer than the 12-week Scottish Government target.
These statistics come as it was revealed by NHS Lothian Board papers that NHS Lothian must make savings of 7%.
The papers also highlighted that the Scottish Budget also provided “no additional resource to cover inflationary costs and other new and emerging cost pressures”.
Ms Boyack said: “These figures highlight the Scottish Government’s disgraceful failures in regard to heart and circulatory disease patients.
“It is even more troubling that while the situation is getting worse, the Scottish Government will not provide any additional resource to NHS Lothian.
“This is particularly worrying given Lothian’s population growth.
“If the Scottish Government does not act urgently, then this situation will continue to spiral into an emergency.
“People suffering heart and circulatory diseases deserve the top notch care our NHS is supposed to deliver.
“Instead, they are forced to endure unacceptable delays due to the Scottish Government’s lack of investment.
“If the Scottish Government doesn’t deliver additional funding soon, they will be letting down heart condition patients across the Lothians.”
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