Less than two-thirds seen at A&E in four hours, figures show
Waiting times at accident and emergency departments have increased sharply with less than two-thirds seen in the target time, the latest figures show.
Statistics from Public Health Scotland show 63.7% of people were seen within four hours in the week to July 21, a drop from 65.4% the previous week.
The Scottish Government aims to ensure 95% of people are seen and subsequently admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours in the country’s emergency departments – a target which has not been hit since the early months of the pandemic, when attendances plummeted.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said the “sustained pressure” in emergency medicine is not unique to Scotland.
“Although we have the best performing core A&E departments in the UK, performance remains below the level we all wish to see,” he said in response to Tuesday’s statistics.
“A&E performance is impacted by pressures from across the wider health and social care system and we are continuing to work with boards to reduce long waits and support delivery of sustained improvements.
“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: “These atrocious – and worsening figures – are a damning indictment of the SNP’s continued mismanagement of Scotland’s A&E departments.
“We know these skyrocketing waiting times will inevitably lead to more patients dying needlessly – and the fact that the permanent crisis in our NHS is deepening at the height of summer is terrifying. It’s clear that the peak winter season will spell disaster for the health service unless action is taken immediately.
“The double whammy of Humza Yousaf’s flimsy recovery plan and the dire workforce planning of successive nationalist health secretaries means it is the shocking – but unacceptable – norm that over a third of patients are forced to wait over four hours before being treated in A&E.”