SNP First Minister John Swinney has condemned the culture at Scotland’s largest health board as “utterly unacceptable.”

His remarks came in a First Minister’s Questions dominated by discussion about a damning review of emergency departments at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) from Health Improvement Scotland (HIS).

The study not only found an “unacceptable normalisation” of corridor care and “ambulance stacking” in a bid to manage overstretched A&Es, but a “serious breakdown” in working relationships.

This was most notable at Govan’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, where emergency doctors routinely faced “disrespectful behaviours, poor teamwork and incivility” from managers which crushed morale and potentially damaged patient care.

Urging action, review co-chair Dr Pamela Johnston said: “NHSGGC needs to take a whole-system approach across urgent and unscheduled care.

“This strategy needs to start with everyone working collaboratively and respectfully to address the issues before them.”

Responding, Mr Swinney told MSPs: “Let me use this platform to make it abundantly clear to every health board in the country that the culture that is referred to by HIS is completely and utterly unacceptable.”

But Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar told the First Minister: “I have been raising concerns for years with successive SNP health secretaries and first ministers, but here we are again.

“This is just the latest report after 29 doctors raised concerns almost two years ago — and it exposes serious issues around the culture of NHSGGC.

“It follows the same pattern: patient safety compromised, staff ignored, bullied and silenced — and when they blow the whistle the management deny their claims, intimidate them and attempt a cover-up.”

An NHSGGC spokesperson said: “We take the report, and most importantly the views of our patients and staff, very seriously and want to assure our patients and staff of our commitment to improve.”