Waiting times highlighted by a national charity for people to receive a key heart scan have been described as “alarming” by a local MSP.

Jackson Carlaw, Eastwood MSP, met with staff from the British Heart Foundation to discuss concerns about the waiting times for an echocardiogram test.

The vital test is used to examine the heart and surrounding blood vessels to help identify types of heart diseases including heart failure. The target waiting time for the test is six weeks.

Across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC), which covers East Renfrewshire, approximately 157,000 individuals are living with heart and circulatory diseases.

Most recent data published by the British Heart Foundation shows that NHS GGC saw almost 5,500 patients waiting to receive an echocardiogram in June 2023.

Of those waiting for an echocardiogram almost 80% had experienced a wait over the Scottish Government target of six weeks.

441 have been waiting for over twelve months.

The Scottish Conservative MSP said this matter needs to be addressed.

He added: “Waiting time targets for large numbers of patients across a range of key healthcare services are consistently not being met and far too many people are having to experience lengthy delays before receiving the required medical support.

“The data highlighted by the British Heart Foundation is deeply alarming and the difficulties that thousands of individuals have been forced to endure with securing access to heart scans in a timely manner needs to be addressed.

“People in Eastwood who require an echocardiogram should not be faced with a potentially excessive wait for this key diagnostic test and the Scottish Government must review what actions can be taken to reduce unacceptable delays for patients.”