Record numbers wait more half a day on Scotland's A&E wards

The number waiting more than 12 hours in A&E rose from 1,015 to a record 1,022 in the week ending March 27.

Opposition parties said SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf needed to explain what he was doing about it.

The rise in excessive waits was in spite of a slight drop in the number of people attending A&E, which fell for a second week, from 25,506 to 25,264.

However hospitals have also seen record numbers of people taken in for Covid treatment, combined with staff shortages.

Overall, the number of patients waiting more than the four-hour A&E target fell from 8,610 to 7,973 in the week to March 27.

It meant the proportion of patients waiting more than four hours was 68.4 per cent, a slight improvement on the previous week’s 66.2%, although that was the worst figure since comparable records began in early 2015.

In one health board, Forth Valley, more than half of patients waited longer than four hours.

The target is for 95% of patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. It has not been met nationally since July 2020.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has warned the significant delays are harming or killing more than 30 patients a week. 

The worst performing health board last week was NHS Forth Valley, where only 46.6% of patients were seen on time, followed by NHS Lanarkshire on 59%  and NHS Borders on 59.6%.

A separate Public Health Scotland report also showed that February had the second worst monthly figure for A&E waits since records began, with 74.2% of patients overall seen within the four-hour target, with only October last year worse, on 73.5%.

Tory MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “Each time we think the crisis in A&E has hit rock bottom, things seem to get even worse.

“It’s truly horrendous that a record number of patients had to wait 12 hours to be seen.

"Worse still, it was even reported this week that some patients have actually waited three days.

“We can’t go on like this, with Humza Yousaf wringing his hands while lives are needlessly lost because Scotland’s emergency wards don’t have enough staff to satisfy demand.

“Apart from a statement to parliament two weeks ago that was full of excuses but no solutions, we’ve heard nothing from him.

“The nation and exhausted frontline NHS staff are crying out for a strategy to get waiting times under control but, beyond his outdated, woefully-inadequate Covid Recovery Plan, the Health Secretary has nothing to offer.”

Scottish Labour deputy Jackie Baillie added: "The SNP’s mismanagement of our NHS is not just causing chaos in our emergency rooms – it is costing lives.

“Despite the best efforts of heroic NHS staff, the SNP are leaving services to sink to new lows with every passing week.

“The Royal College of Emergency Medicine have warned that hundreds of lives have been lost due to the crisis in A&E. It really does not get much worse than this.

“Spiralling rates of delayed discharge are piling pressure on to already-stretched services.

“Patients and hardworking staff are both being failed by the SNP’s continued inaction.

“We need urgent action to tackle this crisis and save lives.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: "Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon have allowed this crisis to get worse and worse, week in, week out.

“A&E targets were already missed for years pre-pandemic because of poor workforce planning and SNP mismanagement.

"As the crisis reaches its most dangerous point the SNP-Green government's eyes have wandered away from the crisis and towards the prospect of an unwanted independence referendum.

"Staff are more frustrated than anyone because they have been sounding the alarm. They have been working hard for months and have nothing more to give.

"Those warnings didn’t stop the SNP-Green Government voting against our calls for an urgent staff Burnout Prevention Strategy.

“NHS patients and staff are in dire need of new hope. We need an inquiry into avoidable deaths connected to the emergency care crisis and new resources to help those on the frontline.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The latest monthly figures published show Scotland has the best performing A&Es in the UK.

“In fact, Scotland’s A&Es have outperformed those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for over six years.

“The latest weekly figures show performance in our A&E departments has slightly improved, although we know this may fluctuate in the weeks ahead as the unprecedented impact of the pandemic continues to take its toll.

“We are still seeing high levels of Covid transmission and people in our hospitals with the virus, but there are some indications that numbers are stabilising.

“For many, A&E will not be the right place for their healthcare need. People should consider whether their condition is an emergency, such as a stroke, heart attack or major trauma, before going to A&E.

“Local GPs can be contacted during the day for non-critical care, as well as local pharmacies. If you think you need A&E but it is not an emergency, NHS 24 telephone service is available on 111.”