NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s emergency departments are continuing to experience significant pressures, with patients experiencing long waits for assessment and treatment.

Joanne Edwards, director of acute services, is urging people to only attend A&E if they have a critical problem or require care urgently.

She said: “The demands on our Emergency Departments have increased in recent weeks with patients waiting for significantly longer than usual to be seen and assessed.

“We continue to prioritise those patients who require urgent care, and how long you will wait will depend on the seriousness of your condition.

“To make sure patients are seen as quickly as possible, we are asking the public to only attend the Emergency Department if they have a critical emergency or require urgent care.”