A leading Scottish GP has accused Nicola Sturgeon of trying to blame her government's mistakes on the pandemic. This comes as the SNP leader apologised to patients experiencing unprecedented waiting times amid a crisis in Scottish healthcare. Ms Sturgeon has since officially requested support from the military to deal with pressure.

       Dr Sandesh Gulhane has pointed out that it is not just the ambulance waiting time that is crumbling under pressure.

       He told GB News: "Our A&E waiting times are also growing, our hospital waiting lists are now expanding again and GPs are under absolutely unprecedented demand."

       Dr Gulhane is a working GP as well as the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health in Scotland.

       The Conservative MSP added: "On Monday, I had 80 patient contacts when I was at work. That is unsustainable."

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       He continued: "It is really clear that we are in a crisis here in Scotland.

       "In 2018, before the pandemic, I called an ambulance for a patient and it took eight hours.

       "It is not unique in Scotland to the pandemic.

       "It happened before the pandemic, it just got worse under the pandemic.

       "Nicola Sturgeon is hiding behind the pandemic.

       "She has been in charge of a crumbling Scottish NHS for 14 years and she’s not accepting that."

       The GB News host remarked that the NHS in Scotland was "spiralling out of control".

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       The Ministry of Defence confirmed Ms Sturgeon's request for help, which will help free up resources within the service.

       On Thursday, the Scottish leader apologised to the family of 65-year-old Gerald Brown, a Glasgow man who died after waiting 40 hours for treatment.

       Speaking in Holyrood, the First Minister said: “I apologise unreservedly to anyone that has suffered or is suffering unacceptably long waits."

       On Wednesday, health secretary Humza Yousaf said that people should “think twice” before calling for an ambulance - sparking a furious response from the opposition.

       The Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, criticised Mr Yousaf’s comments as “dangerous and reckless”.