Monthly A&E performance on four-hour target at highest point in almost a year

The proportion of accident and emergency patients seen within four hours in a single month has reached its highest point in almost a year, new figures show.

Statistics released by Public Health Scotland on Tuesday show 70.8% of those who attended Scottish A&E units in May were seen within the Government target, rising from 69.3% in April to the highest point since last June – when the figure stood at 71.3%.

However, the rate remains far lower than the 95% target set by ministers.

In May, the number of people waiting longer than eight hours in A&E dropped to 11,201 from 11,405, while those waiting longer than 12 hours fell from 4,013 to 3,716.

Meanwhile, other data published by PHS reveals continued stagnation in the most recent weekly A&E performance.

In the week to June 25, the figures show, the proportion of patients waiting longer than four hours before being dealt with sat at 68.9%, slightly up from 68.4% the previous week.

The number of people waiting longer than four hours dropped to 8,506 from 8,838, while the number waiting more than eight hours dropped from 2,373 to 2,102.

The number of patients waiting more than 12 hours also fell, from 786 to 583.

NHS Shetland, however, was unable to submit figures for the week to June 25.

Health Secretary Michael Matheson said he was “encouraged” by the latest figures.

“Hospital bed occupancy continues to be a major factor impacting on performance, which is why we are working to reduced instances of delayed discharge and are continuing to expand our Hospital at Home capacity,” he added.

“Performance against the four-hour target has stabilised. However, we know performance is not where it needs to be and we are working closely with the health boards facing the greatest challenges in A&E to drive down waiting times and improve services for patients and staff.”

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said the “crisis in our NHS is deepening”.

She added: “It is simply shocking that over 11,000 patients have waited over eight hours in A&E during May alone – with the situation continuing to deteriorate into June.

“The facts are now clear – Michael Matheson has been unable to pull A&E services out of the nose-dive that Humza Yousaf plunged them into.

“That as many as 28,960 people have waited over eight hours in an emergency department since Michael Matheson became Health Secretary should be sounding alarm bells throughout the Government.

“Doctors and nurses are at breaking point, but this SNP Government is entirely failing to support them.”

Scottish Conservative health spokeswoman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “It’s utterly unacceptable that in the middle of summer, the SNP still can’t get a grip on tackling A&E wait times.

“These appalling figures show just how disastrous Humza Yousaf’s tenure as SNP health secretary was for our NHS, and it is patients and frontline staff that are bearing the brunt of his failures.”