A&E wait time performance remains just above record low

Scotland’s weekly accident and emergency waiting time performance figures remain slightly above the record low seen at the end of October, but they are still well below the target.

For the week ending November 13, performance against the four-hour target for admission, transfer or discharge stood at 65.3%.

This was up slightly from the previous week’s figure of 65.1%.

The figure hit a record low during the final week of October when it dipped to 63.1%.

In the most recent figures, attendances rose to 26,280, up by more than 1,000 on the previous week.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has warned the A&E figures will “fluctuate” over the winter as pressures mount on the NHS.

Opposition politicians have called for him to quit due to the decline in A&E waiting time performance.

The Scottish Government’s target is for 95% of patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

Responding to the latest data, Mr Yousaf said: “This week we have seen increased pressure on services, with overall attendances rising by more than 1,000.

“Despite this there has been a further improvement in performance over four hours and a decrease in patients waiting more than eight hours.

“We have also seen a 23.5% drop in the number of patients waiting over 12 hours.

“This is welcome, but I am clear we will continue to see fluctuations in performance over winter.

“Delayed discharge is the single biggest factor driving up A&E waits and we are working with health boards to ensure people leave hospital without delay, freeing up vital beds for those who need them most.

“A key focus of our winter plan is on social care and actions to encourage authorities to help ease delays.”

He said a £600 million plan aims to recruit 1,000 new staff for the NHS.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “These dire statistics expose yet again how Humza Yousaf is presiding over complete chaos in our A&E departments.

“Despite the best efforts of my colleagues on the front line, more and more lives are being needlessly lost and the responsibility for that lies squarely with the failing Health Secretary.

“Frontline staff and suffering patients have lost all faith in Humza Yousaf to turn around the crisis in our health service – and now we know chief executives feel the same, given their alarming discussions on creating a two-tier NHS.

“As the winter period looms ever closer for our NHS, I dread to think how bad it will get for patients turning up at our emergency departments.

“Nicola Sturgeon should stop dithering. She must accept Humza Yousaf is failing Scotland’s NHS and sack him.”