I have been informed by staff and patients that waiting times at A&E at the Royal Infirmary exceeded 40 hours last weekend.

Our wonderful NHS staff are working their fingers to the bone again but they need the support from the Scottish Government to solve these problems. We need a proper NHS catch up plan that looks at these short-term issues as well as some of the longer term challenges for our health service.

Local GPs are working extremely hard but are at breaking point – which is putting more pressure on acute services.

I’m really concerned about both the current situation and this tweet from NHS Lothian. When residents get concerned about their health to the extent they go to A&E how do they know the diagnosis.

I have written to the Scottish Health Secretary as a matter of urgency and will be keeping constituents up to date.