DOUGLAS Ross has urged John Swinney to sack beleaguered Health Secretary Humza Yousaf.

The call comes after Scotland's nurses voted to strike for the first time in history.

The minister has also been under pressure to deal with miserable performance times in Scotland’s A&Es.

Last week they fell to a new record low, with almost two in five patients waiting too long for treatment.

During First Minister's Questions, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said the NHS was "on its knees."

"The SNP insisted it would get Scotland’s NHS back on track, but this is what their recovery plan has delivered – record vacancies, the longest ever waiting times, patients struggling to see their GP, nurses voting to strike for the first time ever and the worst A&E waiting times statistics on record.

"Whoever the SNP try to blame, it’s obvious that the man responsible is sitting right there next to the Deputy First Minister," he added.

“Humza Yousaf has failed and all he can do is spin that the NHS is in recovery when really it’s at breaking point.

“Just how much worse does it have to get for patients and staff in Scotland before he takes responsibility?

“Deputy First Minister, Scotland’s NHS deserves better than Humza Yousaf, when will this Health Secretary be sacked?”

Responding, Mr Swinney - who was standing in for Nicola Sturgeon at question time - described Mr Ross's call a “laughable proposition.”

"Given the absolutely, totally chaotic turmoil of ministerial resignations and dismissals in the United Kingdom Government, what a laughable proposition to put to me this morning.

“I’ve been active in politics for many years, a member of Parliament for a quarter century, and you know when somebody’s run out of road when they start playing the man and not the issue,” he added.

He said the Scottish pay offer was the best in the UK, so too was A&E performance.

“What’s not helping is the folly of Brexit, because Brexit has reduced the amount of staff available because of the loss of free movement,” he added.

Mr Swinney also said the UK Government "is not recognising the public sector pressure exists because of inflation that they have fuelled by their stupid economic decisions and as a consequence, public budgets are under enormous pressure”.

Mr Sarwar told Mr Swinney “his head is frankly in the sand”.

He added: “This Health Secretary and this Government are clearly out of their depth.

“After 15 years in Government, 750,000 Scots on the NHS waiting list, the worst ever waits at A&E and now the Royal College of Nursing going on strike for the first time in their history.

“Does the Deputy First Minister accept that our NHS has not faced a crisis like this in its history, that it is the worst it has ever been, and it is all happening on the SNP’s watch?”

Mr Sarwar said problems had existed in the NHS “even before the pandemic and even before Brexit”.

He said: “Nurses have been warning for years that staff shortages risk patient safety.

“Nurses are saying that a lack of resources is putting patients at risk. Lives are being lost.”

Mr Swinney said staff in the NHS in Scotland had reached record levels under the SNP but said the government was limited by inflation and public spending pressures. 

He later attacked Sir Keir Starmer for comments made to BBC Scotland over the weekend, when the Labour leader said the UK was "recruiting too many people from overseas" into the NHS.

READ MORE: Sir Keir Starmer says UK 'recruiting too many people from overseas' into NHS

The Deputy First Minister said: “I listened to those comments with incredulity.

What is hampering us in the health service is the Brexit that was inflicted on us by the Conservatives, ending free movement of individuals which has lost members of staff from our national health Service. We need to reverse that.”

Responding, Mr Sarwar replied: “Let me address that final point, I have led a campaign in this parliament to address racial and religious prejudice, so no one should miscategorise my position or the position of my party so let me be clear, migrants play an invaluable part in our NHS and they always have done and they always would do.

“I would also say people that come and work in our NHS are not migrants, they're equal Scots, just like the rest of us. But that should not stop us from having a credible workforce plan that means we train more doctors and nurses here.” 

Speaking to journalists after question time, Ms Sturgeon's official spokesman insisted the First Minister still had confidence in Mr Yousaf.