NORTH Ayrshire's Conservative election candidate claims the waiting list backlog in Ayrshire and Arran has "spiralled out of control" on the SNP's watch.

Todd Ferguson's claim came after new statistics from Public Health Scotland revealed that a record 840,300 patients across Scotland were on an NHS waiting list for inpatient or outpatient appointments for a key diagnostic test at the end of March.

That, claims Mr Ferguson, is almost 55,000 more patients than the same time last year.

In NHS Ayrshire and Arran, there are now 9,509 more patients on an NHS backlog than 12 months ago, which he said was “a damning indictment of the SNP’s mismanagement of Scotland’s NHS”.

But the Scottish Government hit back at his allegations, claiming fresh investment would tackle the backlog.

Mr Ferguson also said "dire workforce planning" from successive SNP health secretaries has left services in NHS Ayrshire and Arran dangerously overstretched and unable to meet patient demand, despite the best efforts of dedicated staff.

He claimed the SNP had prioritised their “independence obsession” over cutting NHS waiting times for suffering patients.

He said:  “Thousands of patients in NHS Ayrshire and Arran are continuing to suffer due to the SNP’s inaction on tackling NHS waiting lists.

"The fact that the backlog is continuing to increase is a damning indictment of the SNP’s mismanagement of the NHS in Scotland.

“They have now spiralled out of control despite the best efforts of dedicated staff in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and the SNP have no plan to fix this crisis.

“Dire workforce planning by a succession of SNP health secretaries has left services in NHS Ayrshire and Arran dangerously overstretched.

“These soaring backlogs are a direct result of the SNP obsessing over independence and pushing it at every opportunity, rather than focusing on people’s real priorities in Ayrshire and Arran such as cutting NHS waiting times.

“The SNP should start by adopting the ambitious proposals set out by us to deliver a modern, efficient and local health service.”

But the Scottish Government hit back and said they were tackling major problems in the NHS.

A spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is committed to eradicating long waits to ensure people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible – and additional investment of £30 million is now being targeted to reduce backlogs by maximising the use of resources across Scotland. 

“This builds on our £1 billion NHS Recovery Plan which has delivered a significant reduction for the longest waits.

“The Scottish Government has also opened two National Treatment Centres to increase capacity with a further two centres opening this year. 

“These centres will provide capacity for more than 20,000 additional procedures annually once fully operational.”

While Mr Ferguson is campaigning to become the area's representative in the UK Parliament, legislation on the NHS is an area of policy that is devolved to Holyrood, and thus the area's next MP, whoever they are, will have no power to vote on any future legislation on the issue.