Ministers challenged over ‘permanent crisis’ in Scotland’s emergency rooms

Scotland’s accident and emergency departments have been left in “permanent crisis” by the Scottish Government – with ministers warned lives are being put at risk as a result.

Opposition politicians slammed the Scottish Government after the latest weekly A&E waiting times showed another decline in performance.

Of the 25,118 patients who went to the emergency room in the week ending July 14, only 65.5% were seen and either admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

That is down from 66.7% the previous week, and is well below the Scottish Government target of having 95% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

The most recent figures from Public Health Scotland showed 8,669 patients spent longer than the target time in A&E – with 2,894 (11.5%) there for eight hours or more, and 1,190 (4.7%) having to wait at least 12 hours.

Health Secretary Neil Gray accepted that “performance remains below the level we all wish to see” in accident and emergency departments.

He added that the Scottish Government was “continuing to work with boards to reduce long waits and support delivery of sustained improvements”.

Mr Gray said: “Services are facing sustained pressure and this is not unique to Scotland – with similar challenges being felt right across the UK.”

But Scottish Labour health spokesperson Dame Jackie Baillie claimed: “On the SNP’s watch, Scotland’s A&E services are in a state of permanent crisis.

“Every week lives are being put at risk with thousands of patients being left waiting hours on end for urgent care.

“Services are at breaking point, piling pressure on staff and putting patients at risk.”

The Labour MSP said: “The SNP must get a grip of this crisis and bring A&E performance back up to standard – starting by tackling delayed discharge and properly supporting fantastic NHS staff.”

Scottish Conservative deputy health spokesperson Tess White stated: “These atrocious – and worsening figures – highlight the reality of 17 years of SNP mismanagement of our NHS for patients.

“We are at the height of summer, yet our health service is still facing winter-level pressures, with patients suffering unacceptable and potentially deadly delays in emergency departments.”

Adding it was now “the shocking norm that over a third of patients are forced to wait more than four hours before being treated in A&E”, the Tory MSP said: “Successive nationalist health secretaries have failed to get a grip of this permanent crisis and it is now over four years since they last met their own waiting-time target.”

Mr Gray added: “This year’s Scottish budget provides more than £19.5 billion for health and social care and an extra £500 million for frontline boards.

“A&E performance is impacted by pressures from across the wider health and social care system – our unscheduled care collaborative programme is taking a whole system approach as we work with boards to deliver sustained improvements.”