Ayr SNP MSP Siobhian Brown has welcomed the £88.2m increase in health spending in NHS Ayrshire and Arran in the SNP Scottish Government’s recent Budget. Image - UniMed   The funding - part of a record investment of almost £22.5 billion in the NHS in the Budget - will see funding for NHS Ayrshire and Arran increase from £1,006.6m in 2025-26, to £1,094.8m in 2026-2027 - an 8.8% increase.    The funding will help enable the expansion of the number of Hospital at Home beds to at

NHS 24 staff worked tirelessly to ensure services ran smoothly during one of the busiest New Year periods on record. Despite high demand, teams across Scotland delivered safe, effective care and demonstrated extraordinary commitment to patients. On 2 January alone, NHS 24 answered over 10,000 calls, a figure among the highest daily totals ever recorded.   In the North East, heavy snowfall created significant travel challenges, but colleagues in Aberdeen and Dundee refused to

More than 2,000 people in Ayrshire and Arran are waiting for a cardiac appointment.  The findings are detailed in Public Health Scotland’s Scottish Cardiac Audit Programme 2025, published last month.   The most recent data, for June this year, shows 2,403 people on the outpatient waiting list for cardiology, down from 2,574 in June 2024. That list is typically for people waiting for a consultation regarding an appointment with a cardiologist. The Scottish Government’s wait ti

NHS Ayrshire & Arran is starting to allow more flexible visiting in our hospitals after a recent period where only essential visits were supported. Jennifer Wilson, Nurse Director, said: “We want to sincerely thank patients and their families for their understanding and support during this time. Having these visiting restrictions has helped us protect vulnerable patients and manage infection risks. “While we are seeing a small reduction in flu cases within our hospitals, infe

Keeping your loved ones safe - Visiting restrictions across all sites Like many Health Boards across Scotland, NHS Ayrshire & Arran is seeing a sharp rise in viral respiratory infections, including flu. This is placing significant pressure on our hospitals. To protect patients, visitors, and staff, we have made the difficult decision to suspend routine visiting across all hospitals from Thursday 4 December. Only essential visits will be supported. We will review the situation

University Hospital Crosshouse’s Chemotherapy Ward has received a new medical device designed to make treatment more comfortable, thanks to a fundraising effort led by local resident June Murphy. Left to right: Ward staff pictured with Shauni sitting in chair and June far right June launched the appeal to support family friend Shauni Lambie, 30, from Stevenston, who has been receiving treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the hospital for more than three years. After witnessing

Ayrshire Maternity Unit has received a donation of £10,785 from Olivia Bentham and her partner Daniel Young to support its bereavement services. Left to right: Senior Charge Midwife Gillian, Olivia and Daniel and Midwife, Rachel Coleman The Irvine couple launched their ‘Giving Back for Bowie’ fundraiser earlier this year in honour of their son, Bowie. Daniel, alongside some family members, completed the Scottish Half Marathon in June, raising £6,150. A charity night held duri

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has boosted its staffing by bringing in almost 100 new recruits ahead of winter. The extra staff were announced today (Tuesday, 11 November) by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray while visiting the Service’s East Ambulance Control Centre (ACC) in South Queensferry. The new staff include 25 call handlers who are based in the Service’s ambulance control centres and 22 staff, including GPs, clinical advisors and advan

In recognition of World Stroke Day on 29 October 2025, the Physiotherapy Team at University Hospital Crosshouse launched a unique and impactful initiative to raise awareness of stroke symptoms, promote recovery through exercise and remind residents of Ayrshire and Arran to access urgent help if they have any symptoms of stroke. Throughout the month of October, patients in the stroke ward at University Hospital Crosshouse were invited to take part in a cycle challenge using th

More than 230 people were screened for heart conditions at an event hosted earlier this month by the South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Ayrshire & Arran and the Pumping Marvellous Foundation. A team of experienced medical and nursing staff provided free screening from 10am until 3pm at Girvan Community Hospital. Staff from Pumping Marvellous, the largest patient-led heart failure charity in the UK, was also on hand for information and advice. Throughout th

A patient at University Hospital Crosshouse was able to see her son marry in a heartwarming ceremony arranged by dedicated hospital staff. Photo: NHS Ayrshire & Arran Carol, from North Ayrshire, who was receiving care on the hospital’s gynaecology ward while in the later stages of cancer, watched proudly as her son James, 38, and his partner Shoni, 30, from South Ayrshire, exchanged vows in an emotional ceremony held on the ward last month. The couple had originally planned t

Patients in Ayrshire and Arran who have been waiting more than 26 weeks for an inpatient or day case procedure are being urged to look...

The Children and Young People’s Occupational TherapyService in East Ayrshire took the opportunity to engage with local families at the...

Competing in the Hyrox World Championships in Chicago, David Ridout, a porter at University Hospital Crosshouse, recently won his solo...

Patients attending the Kyle Chemotherapy Unit at Ailsa Hospital are now enjoying the benefits of a new garden after the ward applied to...

Ayrshire Achieves awards celebrate outstanding contributions More than 80 members of NHS Ayrshire & Arran staff, volunteers, and members...

Screen Awareness week, which runs from Monday 5 May through to Friday 9 May 2025, aims to raise the profile of the impact screen use has...

With GP practices being closed on Monday 5 May 2025, Ayrshire and Arran residents are being urged to check who to turn to if they need...

Ayrshire’s biking community returned to the road this Easter weekend in support of local charity Crosshouse Children’s Fund, with the...

Leading Scottish respiratory paediatricians, health charity ASH Scotland and Ayrshire & Arran’s Youth Vaping Taskforce are urging the...