West Scotland MSP Jamie Greene says it is “deeply concerning” some hospitals in Ayrshire and Arran have either never been inspected or not been inspected for more than five years.
Analysis of Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) data shows 36 hospitals across Scotland have never been inspected while a further 29 have not been inspected in the last half-decade.
That total of 65 comprises more than half of the current number of working hospitals in Scotland.
The findings show that in NHS Ayrshire and Arran two hospitals have never been inspected while a further three have not been inspected for five years or more.
That includes the Arran War Memorial Hospital in Lamlash which has not been inspected since October 2016 – seven years ago, the Banner has independently confirmed.
Mr Greene says that hospital inspections play a vital role in reassuring patients and staff in Ayrshire and Arran that their hospital is as safe as it can be.
He said it was “particularly shocking” that inspections are not being carried out when Ayrshire and Arran is under immense pressure ahead of the winter period.
Mr Greene has called on SNP health secretary Michael Matheson to urgently get a grip of this situation and guarantee hospitals in Ayrshire and Arran will be regularly inspected.
He said: “The fact that hospitals in Ayrshire and Arran have either never been inspected or have not been inspected for over five years is deeply concerning.
“Inspections play a vital role in ensuring that patients and staff in Ayrshire and Arran know that their hospital is operating as safely as possible.
“It is particularly shocking to see these figures emerge at a time when our NHS Ayrshire and Arran is under immense pressure and facing the prospect of a truly terrifying winter period.
“The onus is on the SNP health secretary – who is already presiding over an A&E crisis in Ayrshire and Arran – to get a grip of this situation.
“He must guarantee that hospitals in Ayrshire and Arran that have never – or not recently – been inspected, will be as a matter of urgency.”
The Arran War Memorial Hospital has not been inspected for seven years. 01_B45hospital01 (from library)