Humza Yousaf has apologised to a woman who reportedly spent hours lying on the floor in an accident and emergency department “surrounded by vomit and other bodily fluids”.

The First Minister was challenged on the care received by Kirsteen Campbell, from Ross-shire, at FMQs. 

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said she spent more than seven hours in a waiting room at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow after visiting Clydebank.

She was suffering symptoms of either a heart attack or blood clot, Mr Ross told MSPs.

He said: “To alleviate the pain she was in, Kirsteen had to lie on the floor, she told me, surrounded by vomit and other bodily fluids, because there was no bed available.

“What does Humza Yousaf have to say to Kirsteen and how is he going to fix this problem?”

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The First Minister responded: “What I would say to Kirsteen Campbell and anybody else that has had to wait too long, is first and foremost this Government apologises to anybody who has to wait longer than any of us would expect in relation to A&E treatment, or indeed when it comes to elective care or diagnostics.”

Mr Yousaf stressed the NHS was “still recovering” from the Covid pandemic and the Scottish Government was providing “record” cash of more than £19.5bn for health in 2024/25.

“We are seeing recovery,” the FM said, citing the number of operations being carried out rising from 604 a day across the NHS in January 2023 to 702 per day in January this year

Mr Ross also raised the care received by Ian Black, who he said “gave up” waiting for an ambulance after 15 hours when he was told Monklands Hospital in Airdrie was full.

The Tory leader said: “When he eventually got an ambulance the following morning, it emerged he had suffered a stroke. Ian is still alive to explain his situation, but if this happened to other people they might not be.

“Waiting 15 hours for an ambulance after a stroke will be fatal in other circumstances.”

Mr Yousaf admitted the Scottish Ambulance Service, like the rest of the health service, was facing “challenges”, but said its funding was increasing next year.

“There is no getting away from the fact that the global pandemic impacted on health services right across the country, including here in Scotland,” he said.

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The FM said cuts imposed by Westminster were also impacting services in Scotland.

“The UK Conservative Government… has slashed public spending to the absolute bone.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused the Scottish Government of breaking the legally guaranteed target to deliver treatment within 12 weeks to eligible patients 680,000 times.

The law creating the guarantee was brought in in 2011 by the SNP.

Mr Sarwar said: “The SNP have broken this law over 680,000 times. Humza Yousaf might try and blame the pandemic, but this law was broken over 320,000 times before Covid.

“Every one of these breaches is someone waiting anxiously for a medical procedure, often in pain. Many have put their lives on hold, stopped work or retired because of their condition.”

Mr Yousaf said “of course this Government apologises and regrets anybody having to wait longer” for treatment.