The first minister points out the UK government is pushing more people into poverty.

Sturgeon reiterates that "these challenges are not unique to Scotland".

"A&E units in Scotland are the best performing in the UK," she says.

The FM adds that delayed discharges are lower here than they are in England and Wales.

There are more headcount GPs per 100,000 of population than in the rest of the UK, she says.

The FM says the Scottish government is working to increase the number of GPs in Scotland.

Ross accuses the first minister of disrespecting the presiding officer with her lengthy replies, which could be shorter if she did not "try to throw the blame elsewhere around the UK".

He says Nicola Sturgeon and her government are in sole control of the NHS in Scotland.

The Scottish Conservative leader turns to GP practices and fears of areas being "under-doctored", especially in deprived areas.

"Are doctors right that if you're poorer you'll receive a second rate healthcare service?," he asks.

Image source, PA Media

Ross turns to departments beyond A&E and says "the number of beds occupied because of delayed discharge is also at its worst ever level".

In the most recent monthly data, 1,900 beds every single day were taken up by patients medically cleared to leave, the Scottish Conservative leader adds.

He asks if the SNP had kept their promise to end delayed discharge would there be 1,900 beds available right now.

The first minister reiterates her point about the £50m Unscheduled Care Initiative which supports a range of measures to drive down waits in A&E.

Sturgeon insists these problems are not unique to Scotland and says that in England more than 10% of patients going to A&E are waiting more than 12 hours.

Delayed discharges remains a problem across the UK, she says, adding that there is targeted work being done to tackle this.

The presiding officer intervenes to ask the FM to be brief and Sturgeon replies "this is important stuff."

What actions are being taken to prevent people having to wait "hours on end" at A&Es this Christmas?, asks Ross.

The first minister begins her reply by saying the QEUH in Glasgow faces the same pressures as other hospitals.

The performance is "not where we want it to be", admits Nicola Sturgeon.

She points out that the most recent statistics show the performance at the QEUH has improved.

Sturgeon insists: "There is intensive work under way at that hospital and indeed that reflects some of the work that is under way across Scotland."

These same pressures are being seen across the NHS in the UK, she says.

Labour leader Anas Sarwar has made it his mission to put pressure on the first minister almost every week over the NHS in Scotland.

This week Douglas Ross joins the criticism.

This week's A&E waiting time figures are once again the worst on record.

In the week ending 27 November , externaljust 61.9% of patients attending emergency departments were dealt with within the four-hour target.

And the problem is far more acute at Scotland's busiest A&Es, including the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Separately, the number of hospital beds occupied by people who are medically well enough to go home , externalis also at a record high.

This means patients can't get into hospital because there are no beds and they can't get out because there is not enough social care.

The pressure this causes seeps into every single part of the system.

Just this morning Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said he has sleepless nights over the NHS in Scotland as it faces the "most significant pressure" in its history.

Mr Yousaf told BBC Scotland he was spending "every waking moment possible" trying to see what support government can give.

The minister has faced calls to resign as the NHS faces a challenging winter.

Read more: Why we should worry about what is happening in A&E

Image source, PA Media

Douglas Ross says this week's health stats show that almost two in three patients attending A&E at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital were not seen in the target time.

The Scottish Conservative leader goes on to say that in just one week more than 1,000 people at this hospital were not treated within four hours.

Ross says; "It is the worst ever performance in Scotland's A&E departments."

Nicola Sturgeon is ready in her seat and Douglas Ross is on his feet as another FMQs begins.

Image source, TWITTER/@STEPHENFLYNNMP

One of the SNP’s most senior MPs has resigned as the party’s Commons agriculture spokesman and has launched a scathing attack on the new leader at Westminster, Stephen Flynn.

In his resignation letter, Peter Wishart, who also chairs the Scottish Affairs select committee, says: "’I remain bemused as to the reasons why you felt it necessary to seek a change in our leadership, particularly when we see yesterday’s opinion poll, which shows support for independence at a near all-time high and support for the SNP at Westminster at an unprecedented 51%."

He goes on: "Usually change of this significance accompanies failure, whereas we are looking only at sustained and growing success as a movement and party."

However, Mr Wishart says he will support Mr Flynn, adding: "I remain at your service if you do wish to make use of my experience in the Westminster group."

• Read more here
• SNP split claims are complete fiction, MP insists
• Is Nicola Sturgeon losing her grip on the SNP?

What can we expect at FMQs today?published at 11:49 Greenwich Mean Time 8 December 2022

11:49 GMT 8 December 2022

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Trying to predict topics for First Minister’s Questions is generally a mug’s game, but Thursday mornings generally involve plenty of discussion nonetheless.

The first minister’s team war-game out different scenarios to come up with punchy responses, while opposition leaders try to predict her answers to find ways to wrongfoot her.

For example, the health service is basically nailed on to come up every week, given the ongoing issues in Scotland and indeed across the UK – so Ms Sturgeon will no doubt be arriving armed with some statistics about performance in different parts of the country.

The wildcard she can’t prepare for in detail is a human story, a case study of service failure, which is one reason why opposition leaders bring them out so often.

But equally they will be well aware of the topics that Ms Sturgeon has a strong response to.

So the Conservatives are unlikely to bring up yesterday’s critical report from the Climate Change Committee about the Scottish government’s stuttering progress towards cutting greenhouse gas emissions, because they know she would hit straight back with the UK government giving consent to a new coal mine in England.

It’s the sort of thing which the Greens would have asked about, but they no longer get a leader’s question having joined the government. It might be more likely to be dropped in by a backbencher for a briefer exchange – which means Ms Sturgeon doesn’t need to prepare as much material.

It isn’t always quite as straightforward as just asking about the biggest topics of the week.

Image source, PA Media

A bit like many of the matches at the World Cup, there was too much extra-time during FMQs last week for the presiding officer.

Alison Johnstone showed both opposition leaders and the first minister a yellow card for having exchanges that lasted too long.

Ms Johnstone said she regretted being unable to call general or constituency questions due to the length of exchanges, and said she would review this to ensure more members were able to participate.

Will the leaders play to the whistle this week? Not long now till we find out.

Image source, PA Media

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 8 December.

We'll bring you reports and analysis from the weekly political jousting and you can watch or listen with us, just click on one of the play icons at the top of the page.