SNP ministers were under fresh pressure today over their handling of the NHS, as MSPs hit out at the “shambles” of an understaffed children’s ward.

Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman insisted that “encouraging progress” had been made at St John’s Hospital in Livingston, where 24-hour service at the children’s ward was suspended last July.

SNP MSP Angela Constance raised the case last week of a sick baby who waited three hours for an ambulance to be transferred from the hospital, which could not treat the child because of staffing shortages.

Making a statement at Holyrood today, Ms Freeman said: “The incident was a distressing time for the family and the board has been left in no doubt that what happened was unacceptable and must not be repeated.”

But Scottish Labour described the debacle as a “shambles,” calling on Ms Freeman to provide a date for the resumption of 24-hour service.

“In the six years since the  problems at St John’s children’s ward were identified, we have seen three closures of the out-of-hours service and two reviews telling the government to get the situation at the ward sorted,” Labour MSP Neil Findlay said.

“Families have had to travel past their local hospital to Edinburgh for treatment when they should have been treated in their local hospital. That is simply unacceptable.”

Green MSP Alison Johnstone added: “The lack of 24/7 care at the children’s ward at St John’s has caused distress for many years and needs resolved now.

“Lengthy waits for treatment and the transfer of ill children to Edinburgh cannot go on.”

At First Minister’s Questions, Nicola Sturgeon was grilled by Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson over the failure to provide enhanced flu jabs to OAPs under the age of 65.

The Scottish government had previously argued that the vaccine’s manufacturer “was unable to guarantee NHS Scotland sufficient supply,” but Ms Davidson asked why pensioners can purchase it at Boots if supply is short.

Ms Sturgeon said 65 to 74-year-olds were able to get the standard jab and that over-75s had been prioritised for the enhanced version because “the recommendation and advice say that that is the group that the additional vaccine is clinically appropriate for.”

She also stressed the government had “made it clear to health boards that bullying and harassment are unacceptable” after allegations of mistreatment of staff at NHS Highland.