Government must act to prevent ‘winter timebomb’ in A&E

The Scottish Government must prevent a “winter timebomb” in emergency departments, Scottish Labour has said.

Public Health Scotland statistics released on Tuesday show 66.8% of people who attended A&E in the week up to July 7 waited longer than four hours.

The Scottish Government aims to ensure 95% of people are seen within the target time.

A&E figures are typically worse in the winter months due to cold weather and other factors.

Speaking on Tuesday, Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “These figures should set the alarm bells ringing – they reveal just how much trouble the SNP is storing up for later.

“If waiting times are sliding while the sun is shining, how will our battered NHS cope when pressure increases in the colder months ahead?

“After 17 years, the SNP’s neglect of the NHS is impossible to disguise.

“The new UK Labour Government will provide the funds for 160,000 NHS appointments but it’s the SNP government’s responsibility to get a grip and stop this winter timebomb before it’s too late.”

Funding stemming from UK Government plans for the health service will provide an increase in the number of appointments available, Scottish Labour has said previously.

In total, 8,527 people waited longer than four hours in the last available week – the lowest weekly figure since August last year.

Meanwhile, 1,076 people waited longer than 12 hours at A&E, the lowest number since December and a drop from 1,531 the previous week.

The number of people waiting longer than eight hours also dropped compared to the previous week, falling to 2,782 from 3,526.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Despite improved performance in the last week, we recognise that long delays remain too high.

“We are continuing to work with boards to reduce long waits and support delivery of sustained improvements.

“A&E performance is impacted by pressures from across the wider health and social care system which is why our Unscheduled Care Collaborative Programme is taking a whole system approach.

“Similar pressures and challenges are being felt right across the UK. This year’s Scottish Budget provides more than £19.5 billion for health and social care and an extra £500 million for frontline boards.”

Scottish Tory deputy health spokeswoman Tess White said the figures were a “damning indictment” of the Scottish Government’s “continued mismanagement” of A&E.

“It is the shocking norm that over a third of patients must wait more than four hours to be seen and the SNP health secretary has no plan to fix this crisis,” she said.

“Four years have now passed since the SNP last hit their own A&E waiting time target and more and more patients every week are suffering potentially deadly waits.

“Humza Yousaf’s flimsy recovery plan and dire workforce planning by successive health secretaries have left the health service in permanent crisis mode.

“If patients and dedicated staff are to avoid a catastrophic winter in our NHS, then we need to see action from Neil Gray now.”