Lanarkshire's well being board has been accused of being in "disaster" attributable to prolonged ready instances.
Robert Brown, a South Lanarkshire Council candidate for RutherglenSouth who served because the Liberal Democrats group chief on the native authority, has known as for an inquiry into "avoidable deaths", each in Lanarkshire and throughout Scotland.
Mr Brown mentioned that he has commonly heard from folks dealing with prolonged waits to be seen at hospitals within the space.
Obtain the Lanarkshire Stay app right now
The Lanarkshire Stay app is on the market to obtain now.
Get all of the information out of your space – in addition to options, leisure, sport and the most recent on Lanarkshire’s restoration from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.
The free obtain options the most recent breaking information and unique tales, and lets you customise your web page to the sections that matter most to you.
Head to the App Retailer and by no means miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android
Statistics from Public Well being Scotland just lately revealed that simply 56.3 per cent of attendees in Lanarkshire have been seen inside the Scottish authorities's four-hour ready instances goal.
The figures additionally confirmed that 549 had sufferers waited greater than eight hours to be seen, and 150 waited for greater than 12 within the week ending March 20.
The Royal Faculty of Emergency Medication warned that 240 folks have died this yr on account of delays at A&E departments.
Mr Brown has now claimed that a full inquiry should be held.
He advised Lanarkshire Stay : "Native persons are extraordinarily frightened and upset by these experiences.
"Ten hours ready in an emergency division for pressing medical care isn't any enjoyable for anybody - actually not for sufferers however not for exhausting pressed medical employees both.
"Clearly COVID has made issues worse however this disaster was brewing lengthy earlier than.
"The A&E goal was missed for years earlier than the pandemic due to poor workforce planning and mismanagement by the SNP authorities.
"NHS sufferers and employees are in dire want of latest hope. Additionally they deserve an inquiry into the avoidable deaths linked to the emergency care disaster.
"The First Minister and the Well being Secretary seem to have misplaced management of the scenario and it wants radical and pressing motion."
Mr Brown added that steps ought to be taken to construct up the workforce and discover new methods to ease the stress on emergency companies.
The Scottish authorities's well being secretary Humza Yousaf just lately defended the SNP's report.
He acknowledged: "We're at present seeing report excessive ranges of COVID transmission and extra folks in our hospitals with COVID than at any time throughout the pandemic - this rise in latest weeks has inevitably had an influence on companies like A&E.
"The Chief Nursing Officer is now reviewing nationwide An infection management steering with a view to easing present restrictions which have added to hospital pressures by means of lowered mattress numbers.
"Workers absences and a rising variety of acutely unwell sufferers, leading to longer stays, can also be having an influence...
"Folks ought to contemplate whether or not their situation is an emergency, comparable to a stroke, coronary heart assault or main trauma, earlier than going to A&E."
Different candidates for the Rutherglen South seat embody Margaret Cowie (Labour and Co-operative Get together), Alexandra Herdman (Scottish Conservative and Unionist), Carol Nugent (Scottish Nationwide Get together), Michael O’Hara (Scottish Household Get together), Spencer Hugh Pryor (Impartial) and Emma Jane Nicola Smith (Scottish Greens).
**Do not miss the most recent headlines from round Lanarkshire. Signal as much as our newsletters right here.
And did yo u know Lanarkshire Stay is on Fb? Head over to our web page to offer us a like and share.