STARTLING new statistics have revealed that almost 10,000 people in Inverclyde are stuck on waiting lists for NHS treatment.

Figures obtained under freedom of information laws reveal that over 9,000 patients are waiting for procedures, out of a total population locally of just over 78,000.

More than 4,000 individuals are awaiting treatment in Greenock alone.

Labour politician Martin McCluskey, who unearthed the figures under Freedom of Information laws, has today criticised the Scottish Government over the delays.

He says urgent action must be taken to reduce the size of the backlog locally.

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Councillor McCluskey, who sits on the board of NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, said: “I’m sick of listening to patients and staff who are being let down by a government that is failing to get to grips with the crisis in our NHS.

“Every month that goes by, waiting lists are growing longer and the pressure on the system only increases.

“The SNP have been in charge of Scotland’s NHS for almost seventeen years.

“During this time, things in our health service have got worse, not better.

“Even before Covid, people were waiting in pain for far too long for crucial treatment.

“Now those waits are even longer and the SNP’s plan to get waiting lists under control is failing."

Mr McCluskey says that his party's consistent demands for a plan to cut waiting times have been ignored. 

He said: “Labour has been calling for a proper recovery plan for our NHS for years, but it has fallen on deaf ears.

“It is time that the Scottish Government listen to patients and staff and give our NHS the support it needs.”

The data – which is broken down by postcode area – showed that as of November last year 4,300 people were on a waiting list in Greenock, alongside 1,400 Gourock residents.

There were at least 1,000 people from Port Glasgow waiting, 300 from Wemyss Bay and 500 from Kilmacolm.

A total of 1,200 people from Larkfield, Braeside and Inverkip addresses were on waiting lists.

NHS chiefs blame the coronavirus pandemic for the extene of the problem.

An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesperson said:  “As is the case throughout the country, the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on our ability to deliver planned care.

“We have been working since then to recover and to prioritise those with the most urgent need, and those who have been waiting the longest.

“We would like to thank our staff as they continue to work extremely hard to address these challenges and for all they are doing to look after the needs of people in Inverclyde.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We remain determined to drive down waiting times and are working with boards to reduce long waits - which have been exacerbated by the impacts of the global pandemic.

“The draft budget provides increased investment exceeding frontline consequentials for health and social care, including over half a million more for frontline NHS boards - a real terms increase of almost three per cent.

“However, we know that to make progress we need to not just invest in services but also reform the way they are delivered.

“The commitments set out in our £1bn NHS Recovery Plan support an increase in inpatient, day-case, and outpatient activity through the implementation of sustainable improvements and new models of care.”