More than 12% of A&E patients waited at least eight hours, latest data shows

The number of people waiting longer than eight hours in accident and emergency increased in the latest weekly figures.

In the week to March 17, a total of 3,239 – 12.1% – of patients were in A&E for more than eight hours before they were seen and subsequently admitted, discharged or transferred.

Statistics published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) show that increased from the previous week, when 2,971 – 11.3% – patients waited the same time period.

Patients waiting more than 12 hours to be seen also increased, up to 1,258 (4.7%) in the latest week, compared to 1,146 (4.4%) in the week ending March 10.

Scottish Government targets state 95% of patients should wait no longer than four hours from arrival for admission, discharge or transfer – but it has not been met since the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Just 62.9%, or 16,859 patients, were seen within four hours in the most recent week, down from 65.1%, or 17,051, the previous week.

However, PHS said the NHS was experiencing server issues in the most recent week which impacted the processing of data from health boards, meaning some data may not have fully processed yet.

In the most recent week, 26,790 people attended A&E, up from 26,182 in the week ending March 10.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “The pressures being felt by our A&E departments is not unique to Scotland with similar challenges being felt by Emergency Departments throughout the UK.

“We know that the system remains under sustained pressure, and waiting times are longer than we want them to be for too many patients.

“We also recognise that long delays remain too high and we continue to work with health boards to reduce these instances.”

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “It’s completely unacceptable that – well into spring – the already-woeful A&E waiting times are getting even worse.

“The buck stops with a succession of failed SNP health secretaries, whose dire workforce planning has left dedicated frontline staff unable to cope, prompting A&E consultants in Glasgow to warn that patient safety is being compromised.

“None is more culpable than Humza Yousaf, who, during his time as health secretary and first year as First Minister, has missed every single A&E target.

“Neil Gray must act now to tackle the crisis in our NHS and he should start by adopting our proposals in our health paper which would deliver a modern, efficient and local health service.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, and health spokesman, Alex Cole-Hamilton, said “no progress” had been made in the “entire year” since Mr Yousaf became First Minister.

He added: “Patients and staff have been facing unprecedented pressure at A&E for years now. They are sick of hearing empty SNP promises. They need a government that will get the basics right.”