AN MSP has called on Scottish Government ministers to "get on top of" accident and emergency waiting times in the wake of missed targets.

MSP Alexander Stewart made the call after the latest available weekly figures for July 5-11 revealed that only 65.1 per cent of patients were seen within the four hour waiting time target across NHS Forth Valley.

However, he was in turn accused of ignoring the "extreme pressure that the whole of the NHS has been under over the past year" by MSP Keith Brown.

Mr Stewart, Scottish Conservative representative for Mid-Scotland and Fife, said: "Our brilliant frontline staff in accident and emergency departments are under ever-increasing pressure.

"They are simply not being fully supported by SNP ministers who must get on top of this situation.

"NHS Forth Valley patients are paying the price by having to wait longer and longer in accident and emergency.

"It is completely unacceptable that only 65.1 per cent of patients were seen within four hours [during the week ending July 11].

"That is well below the SNP's target of 95 per cent and waiting times are threatening to spiral out of control on the SNP's watch."

He added he will continue to push ministers to back his party's plans for a one-off £600million investment, specifically to tackle waiting times.

During the month of July, NHS Forth Valley continued #RightCareRightPlace campaign to urge people to use services wisely.

People are being urged to call 111 if they think they need to go to A&E but the situation is not life threatening.

A minor injuries unit is also operating at Stirling Community Hospital to treat minor burns, cuts, sprains, strains and broken bones, and is often much quicker than going to A&E at Larbert.

However, those experiencing an emergency should still call 999.

Responding, Clacks and Dunblane MSP Keith Brown said: "The Tories must be the only people in the country not to have noticed the extreme pressure that the whole of the NHS has been under over the past year.

"Before the pandemic, we were making real progress with our three-year, £850m, plan to bring down waiting times, and Scotland's core A&E services were the best performing anywhere in UK.

"In the last year we've asked more of our NHS than ever before – and more than we could ever have expected."

He applauded hard-working staff at the hospital "who continue to work under extremely challenging conditions".

Mr Brown explained he has regular meetings with officials at NHS Forth Valley to discuss performance and added: "The NHS is getting back on to a normal footing and investment from the Scottish Government in reducing waiting times at A&E – and across the board of NHS services – is part of that.

"But we know what happens to the NHS under the Tories – the NHS in England has not hit the '95 per cent within four hours' target for many years and they are now scrapping the measurement."