HUMZA Yousaf must act to get ambulance services in Glasgow back under control before lives are lost, Scottish Labour has said.

The opposition party's call comes as paramedics have reacted angrily to news that the Scottish Ambulance Service plans to cut crews in the city and to reduce the number working nightshift in some areas to only one crew despite a number of tragedies related to long waits.

While ambulance turnaround times have improved since the autumn, lengthy waits have been recorded across Scotland, with a maximum turnaround time of over seven hours recorded at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

Scottish Labour has said that the decision to cut ambulance crews in Glasgow ‘beggars belief’ and is demanding that Yousaf acts to prevent the cuts.

READ MORE: Covid tests in Scotland: UK Government 'must honour' funding says Humza Yousaf

Jackie Baillie, the party's health spokeswoman, said: "With ambulance services in disarray across the country, this decision beggars belief and will put lives in danger in Glasgow.

“We know that the crisis in the ambulance service has been persistent for months, with people dying while waiting for ambulances, despite the considerable efforts of paramedics and ambulance staff. For Humza Yousaf to allow this cut to go ahead is a damning indictment on how seriously he is taking this issue. We don’t need fewer ambulance crews – we need our hardworking ambulance staff to be supported and bolstered. Humza Yousaf must act now to prevent this potentially deadly cut going ahead.”

Under the proposals the number of crews working the nightshift at the Glasgow South depot would be reduced from three to one between midnight and 5am, Sunday to Friday.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon follows Wales in offering Covid jags to all five to 11 year olds

The changes would also mean a dramatic change in shift patterns for staff, many of who have been working the same roster for two decades.

Crews who work permanent night shifts would be moved onto day shifts and instead of working seven days in a row, would have their week split up.

Concerns have been raised about the impact the new rosters would have on staff who are already 'at breaking point'.

Stations in Paisley and Greenock will also be hit by changes, which come in the wake of a Demand and Capacity Review carried out by a private contractor on behalf of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Workers say the plans don't make sense in the current circumstances.

READ MORE: Covid in Scotland: 7,449 new cases and 16 deaths overnight

One member of staff told Glasgow Live: "The review was carried out years before the pandemic and the situation has completely changed by then."Now, we are overrun and barely get breaks. The changes will mean only one crew covering a stretch of the city which is ridiculous."

In September, The Herald revealed that 65-year-old Gerard Brown died during a wait of more than 40 hours for an ambulance in Glasgow.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs at the time that emergency services staff were under 'acute pressure' and called in the Army to help support the service after she apologised for delays.

In November, Deputy First Minister John Swinney apologised to the family of a a second man who died after waiting five hours for an ambulance in Glasgow, calling it was "unacceptable".

Richard Brown, 55, died alone in his Glasgow tenement building even though his neighbour had repeatedly called for an ambulance.

At First Minister's Questions, Swinney said at the time: "I want to express my sympathy to Mr Brown's family because Mr Brown should not have had the experience that he had and I am very sorry Mr Brown's family are enduring the added agony that they are having to endure in addition to the loss of Mr Brown."

He said an investigation into the delay had been launched, adding he was aware of the "enormous pressure" placed on the ambulance service and blamed Covid for the level of demand on the healthcare system.He said the Government had provided an extra £20million to support the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Responding to Labour's intervention today a Scottish Government spokesman underlined the pressures Covid had put on the ambulance service.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has been the biggest shock the NHS has suffered in its 73-year existence and has heaped pressure on our ambulance service and wider NHS," he said.

"The Scottish Ambulance Service is working closely with health boards to reduce turnaround times to receive patients into emergency departments as quickly as possible.

“Despite the challenges, including serving some of the most rural areas in the UK, in 2020/21 our ambulance crews responded to over 70% of their highest priority calls in under ten minutes and over 99% in under 30 minutes."

He added: “The service is looking at measures to meet requirements when patient demand is greatest which may result in roster shift changes and we thank all staff for their dedication in continuing to address the challenges the pandemic has caused.

“The Health Secretary has set out further investment of £20 million as part of the £1 billion NHS recovery plan to introduce new ambulances and almost 300 additional staff throughout Scotlandto ensure the Service is working as efficiently as possible and have resources in place to meet both current and projected future demand.”