Last week it was announced that the number of patients being treated in Accident and Emergency within the 4 hour waiting time target had dropped to 90.9% in December 2014. This is a significant drop from the 98.5% that was recorded in the same month in 2013 and down from the 95.2% in November 2014.

As I result I have written to the Scottish Government to call for them to take appropriate action to address this fall and ensure that the resources are available to staff to enable them to treat patients within the waiting time target.

Staff within the NHS do a great job under ever increasing pressures and therefore it is vital that they have the right resources available to them to ensure that our patients are being treated to the highest possible standards.

We knew previously that NHS Fife is struggling from bed blocking and increasing locum costs. We now know that they are also struggling to meet their four hour waiting time target. That is why the Scottish Government must take action.

I have also written to NHS Fife to ask for weekly updates on the Health Service within the Kingdom. Every week NHS Fife sends statistics to the Scottish Government including information of the number of A&E attendances, those waiting longer than 4 hours, and a day to day break down of total discharges.

This information is released weekly in England but not in Scotland, and I am calling for that to change. We need to ensure the weekly data is available so we can see where and when problem areas are emerging and work together to overcome them as soon as possible.

The National Health Service is the number one issue that fills my inbox and it is important that we have all the information available to address any concerns raised. The NHS in Fife needs the right resources. Scottish Labour wants a £100 million frontline fund for our NHS, helping deliver a health service that is fit for Fife.

I have been long campaigning for the NHS in Fife to receive the funding that it deserves and I have been pressing the Scottish Government in Parliament to address concerns around staffing and bed blocking.

It is becoming clear that our hard working and dedicated NHS staff are being stretched beyond their means. That is why there are calls for an NHS Fit for Fife and you can add your name to the calls for the Scottish Government to deliver.

We all know how much we value and treasure our NHS and that we live in the knowledge that we can turn to our NHS in times of need. However there is a growing sense that our NHS in Fife is under-funded, under-staffed and under pressure.

But together we can change that. Join me in signing the petition today.