Ambulance crews were placed on red alert last week as A&Es were mobbed and services threatened to buckle under pressure, the Record can reveal.
Emergency measures were triggered as patients spent waits of up to 12 hours in ambulances queuing outside accident and emergency departments across Scotland.
The “Level 4” status - the highest possible state of alert - means managers can cancel staff leave and deploy all available workers to the frontline.
Labour slammed Health Secretary Neil Gray over the crisis as health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie hit out: “Yet again, Scotland’s ambulance service has been plunged into winter chaos due to the lack of planning and support from the SNP. “That lives are being endangered and staff are having to cancel leave at Christmas is intolerable.
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