Nicola Sturgeon insisted her government did not make any attempts to stop Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital from declaring a major incident.
Staff at the Fife hospital have been under severe pressure due to the ongoing NHS crisis.
One whistleblower claimed patients were being treated in ambulances outside.
Mid Scotland and Fife Tory MSP Roz McCall said workers felt it was necessary to call for special measures to help, but were stopped from doing so.
Across Scotland, A&E waiting times remain at record levels and hospitals are struggling to discharge patients who should be able to leave due to strains on the social care system.
Shocking data showed 142 people were forced to wait for more than 12 hours to see a medic in NHS Fife, while an additional 129 patients faced delays of over eight hours.
On Monday, the first minister was challenged to visit Victoria Hospital by an ambulance worker to see the full-scale of the A&E crisis firsthand.
In Holyrood on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon rejected there had been any interference from her government to prevent a major incident from being declared.
The SNP leader said all of Scotland’s health boards have the freedom to make their own judgements on what extra measures are necessary to keep patients safe.
It comes after NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde took the drastic step of pausing all non-urgent operations to free up more space.
The Victoria Hospital has seen patients waiting >9 hrs, procedures conducted in ambulances which led to staff believing criteria for major incident had been reached. They were “not allowed” to do so. At #FMQs I asked FM to comment on concerns of a whistleblower. No answer. pic.twitter.com/iKUTg17Elo
— Roz McCall MSP (@RozMccall) January 12, 2023
Ms McCall had asked: “Can the first minister confirm that no political direction was given to NHS Fife or any other health board to ensure that a major incident was not called, and will she investigate why staff were not allowed to follow standard protocol?”
The first minister replied: “It is up to health boards to take whatever decisions they think might be appropriate to prioritise critical and life-saving care.
“The action Greater Glasgow and Clyde announced last night demonstrates that health boards have the flexibility where they think that is necessary to take that action, and that is right and proper.”
Ms McCall claimed she received “no answer” from the first minister.
Ms Sturgeon was grilled by rival party leaders Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar over the NHS crisis during first minister’s questions.
The SNP chief insisted a triple threat of Covid, flu and Strep A were all putting services under pressure and said other parts of the UK had not been immune to long waiting times.
On Tuesday, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf announced extra beds will be made available in hospitals as he announced £8 million in funding for health and social care partnerships.
