The health secretary announced additional funding of £20m for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Humza Yousaf said the new investment would deliver:

• assistance from more than 100 military personnel – 88 drivers and 15 support staff
• around 100 2nd year paramedic students to help in ambulance control rooms
• more Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers at the busiest A&Es, increasing from 11 to 20
• additional help from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in the form of volunteer drivers, as well as the British Red Cross and private transport companies where clinically appropriate

Image source, Getty Images

• immediate work to create temporary admission wards in hospitals, meaning patients can be admitted quicker
• additional senior clinical input in ambulance control rooms and to assist and speed up decision-making on mental health, addictions, falls, breathing difficulties, high intensity users and trauma
• £500,000 to fund staff wellbeing measures
• 14 additional staff members in Highland to reduce the on-call requirement in Campeltown, and remove it completely in Fort William, Kirkwall and Broadford.
• The Scottish Conservatives criticised the 'horrendous waits for ambulances" and questioned "£15m of efficiency savings otherwise known as cuts"
• Scottish Labour accused the health secretary of being "missing in action" and the Lib Dems said the "situation is unacceptable"

Image source, Getty Images

Alex Cole-Hamilton begins: "This situation is unacceptable."

The Scottish Lib Dem leader insists it is not just caused by the pandemic.

He argues the military, fire fighters and taxi drivers should not have to bail out the ambulance service.

Mr Cole-Hamilton says: "Can I ask the cabinet secretary just how long does he expect this crisis to last?"

"We are in the midst of a global pandemic," replies the health secretary.

Mr Yousaf says Mr Cole-Hamilton lacks credibility if he says the pandemic has nothing to do with the pressures on the ambulance service.

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie accuses the health secretary of being "missing in action" and says ambulance delays continue at "record levels".

She asks about increases in bed capacity and whether temporary wards will be considered or field hospitals, like the now-closed NHS Louisa Jordan in Glasgow.

Mr Yousaf dismisses her opening remarks and says he has been giving regular interviews to the media.

He adds "urgent discussions" are under way to boost bed capacity and he promises to update parliament on any progress.

The health secretary says the equipment for the NHS Louisa Jordan has been made available to health boards but points out that field hospitals would require pulling staff from "extremely busy" hospitals.

He says setting up extra beds is only part of the solution, as they must be staffed, but adds he "would not dismiss the idea in its entirety".

Image source, Getty Images

For the Scottish Conservatives, Dr Sandesh Gulhane begins by saying the health secretary's statement was published on the front of the Daily Record first, before he got to see it.

The party's health spokesperson says that for weeks we have heard about "horrendous waits for ambulances".

He asks why the government is requiring the Scottish Ambulance Service to make £15m of efficiency savings, "otherwise known as cuts".

Dr Gulhane calls for weekly response data and for an NHS winter plane.

Humza Yousaf reiterates that an additional £20m is being spent help relieve the pressure on the ambulance service.

Mr Yousaf insists: "There will not be a single penny cut from the Scottish Ambulance Service's budget."

He says the budget has increased by £44m this year.

A winter plan will be brought forward imminently, he concludes.

Mr Yousaf concludes by confirming work is underway with health boards to boost capacity by expanding "the footprint of our hospitals, even if it's on a temporary basis".

Turning to the long term, Mr Yousaf says almost 300 additional ambulance staff will be recruited by April next year.

He adds the service is taking forward its recruitment plans at pace.

Additional ambulances will also be introduced over the coming months.

He added that on-call requirement had been reduced in Campbeltown and "removed entirely" in Fort William, Kirkwall and Broadford to free up emergency cover.

Image source, Scottish Ambulance Service

Mr Yousaf also confirms the ambulance service is aiming to bring on board 100 second-year paramedic students to work across the service.

This will include working in control centres to assist with call-handling over the winter.

The health secretary says temporary clinical input will also be brought in for several issues, such as mental health, breathing difficulties and falls.

He adds this will help to "optimise the response" patients receive and identify "additional clinical pathways" where appropriate.

Mr Yousaf says: "Bolstering capacity at both the front and the back ends of the ambulance service will be fundamental to saving lives and I'm thankful to all the individuals and organisations who have offered their support."

Mr Yousaf confirms support has also been sought from the British Red Cross and private contractors, such as taxi companies, where no ambulance is required.

Mr Yousaf confirms the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will also be drafted in to bolster ambulance services.

He confirms they will "scale up" access to volunteer firefighters and firefighters for driving.

The health secretary confirms this will provide "more valuable" time for paramedics and ambulance technicians.

The pending involvement of the SFRS was reported in the Daily Record newspaper on Tuesday leading to a strong rebuke from the presiding officer.

Before Mr Yousaf's speech, Alison Johnstone told MSPs such announcements should first be made in the parliament as opposed to the media.

Image source, Getty Images

"I can confirm the request for military assistance was made immediately after first minister's questions," continues Mr Yousaf.

The health secretary says the military assistance will include 88 drivers to free up medics and technicians.

He says 15 further support staff will mean the military is providing 103 personnel to the service.

Mr Yousaf says some of the military personnel should be driving ambulances by this weekend.

Mr Yousaf details the pressure the ambulance services are under.

The health secretary points to additional funding used to recruit more ambulance staff, enhanced air capacity through Logan Air and the setting up of a strategic working group.

He says the government actions will be backed up by an additional £20m, on top of the original £20m top-up for recruitment.

Mr Yousaf says some of the cases in the media last week were unacceptable.

The health secretary says: "I have no hesitation in apologising to families who have been let down."

The presiding officer chastises the government for allowing details of this ambulance statement to appear in the press.

Humza Yousaf begins the statement with an apology for this.

The health secretary moves on to say the last 18 months have been a time of "unprecedented pressure" on the NHS.

"It has faced the biggest challenge of its 73-year history," he says.

He praises the Scottish Ambulance Service, but accepts that some people are not getting the standard of service they should be.

Numerous reasons why the NHS is under siegepublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 21 September 2021

15:24 BST 21 September 2021

Lisa Summers
BBC Scotland Health Correspondent

Over 550 people waited more than 12 hours in an emergency department in the second week of September, a record high. Until this summer, the previous weekly high was in the depths of winter 2018, when the peak number waiting more than 12 hours was 463.

Much of the pressure comes from a scarcity of beds in other parts of the hospital, to allow people to continue their treatment away from A&E. If there is no room elsewhere, people have to sit on trollies, in cubicles, or in ambulances which cannot then be dispatched elsewhere.

There are numerous reasons why the NHS is under siege and Covid is only part of the picture. There are challenges in the community getting people out of hospital, and sometimes wards are closed to new admissions because of staff sickness or isolation.

Staff report dealing with patients presenting with more advanced illnesses, who need to stay in hospital longer.

Many of the problems the NHS is facing existed before the pandemic. Demand is ever-growing and being met with long-term staff vacancies and a reduction in hospital beds.

Help from the army and additional funds will be welcomed, but they won't solve the problem overnight.

Image source, Getty Images

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf will now deliver a ministerial statement on Scotland's ambulance service.

This follows the Scottish government asking the MoD for military assistance for the country's ambulance service.

• Read more here
• 'I thought my mum was going to die in front of us'
• 'There are so many calls and not enough ambulances'
• Ambulance boss 'sorry' over patient waiting times
• Health secretary faces criticism over ambulance plea

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton says there are "arbitrary distinctions" being made between businesses in relation to the vaccine passport scheme which will lead to "commercial unfairness".

For example, he asks: "Unless your bouncer is Robocop how can venues guard against fraud when visual checking?"

Mr Cole-Hamilton says new rules are being created for businesses while, at the same time, the fundamental right to medical privacy is being "eroded".

Ms Sturgeon says people expect their government to protect them and their NHS from the pandemic, while allowing businesses to stay open and keep trading.

She adds that the government is taking time to get the detail right, such as its consideration over the definition of a nightclub.

The first minister also tells MSPs she wants to ensure a "proportionality" around spot checks for large-scale events, such as football matches.

NHS still bearing the bruntpublished at 15:11 British Summer Time 21 September 2021

15:11 BST 21 September 2021

Susie Forrest
Health producer, BBC Scotland

It looks like new Covid infections are slowing down – for now. But the time it takes for cases to translate into hospital and ICU admissions means the NHS is still bearing the brunt of the big spike we saw at the start of the month.

Some of these patients will not be seriously ill because of coronavirus, but will have tested positive while being treated for something else. That still means they need to be cared for with extra infection control and resources in place to stop the virus spreading in hospital.

Meanwhile, clinicians are juggling huge demand for urgent treatment as well as trying to make a dent in the backlog of routine surgeries.

And staff continue to be pinged when they come into contact with cases in the community – putting pressure on rotas.

Summer has only just turned to autumn – and winter will be here before long. Ministers will hope that getting infection rates under control, with vaccines and testing, can give hospitals a fighting chance of getting through it.

Anas Sarwar says cases remain worryingly high and points out that A&E waiting times are the worst on record.

"This is a national scandal and tragedy," says the Scottish Labour spokesman.

He tells the first minister she should not use the pandemic as cover for these failures.

"How long will it take to fix the ambulance crisis?," he asks.

He argues there are still "big gaps" in the vaccination certification scheme.

The first minister accuses Anas Sarwar of being "deeply disingenuous" and "opportunistic" in his comments about the vaccination certification scheme.

Ms Sturgeon points out those going to the Labour Party conference will have a similar scheme in place.

She also says there has been increased funding for the NHS and details again actions being taken by her government to address the pressures the NHS is facing.

Image source, Getty Images

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane says the NHS is facing a "spiralling crisis".

He highlights reports that 1,000 extra hospital beds are needed to help relieve the "unrelenting pressure" facing Scotland's emergency departments.

Dr Gulhane asks if the first minister agrees that the system is failing front line staff and when a plan will be published to get the country through "what could be the worst winter ever".

Ms Sturgeon says the NHS is "facing crisis conditions as a result of a global pandemic".

She adds the current challenges are mirrored in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The first minister says she will take action to support front line staff through funding, increases in capacity and changes in how patients are seen, in order to free up capacity.