‘Atrocious’ A&E figures show worst November on record for waiting times

Ministers have come under fire over “atrocious” waiting-times figures in Scotland’s accident and emergency departments – with new data showing the worst November on record for waits.

In that month alone some 45,665 patients were in the emergency room for longer than the target time of four hours before being either admitted, transferred or discharged.

This includes 17,745 patients – 13.2% of all cases dealt with in accident and emergency that month – who were there for a minimum of eight hours.

Meanwhile, 8,287 patients – 5.7% of cases – were there for 12 hours or more, the latest Public Health Scotland data showed.

Over the course of November, about two-thirds of patients (66.7%) in A&E were seen and then either admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours – the same proportion as the previous month but well below the Scottish Government target of 95%.

Compliance with the A&E waiting times target has “been below 80% since summer 2021”, Public Health Scotland noted.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “These atrocious statistics prove that our NHS was in meltdown under the SNP even before the height of winter.

“This was the worst November on record in Scotland’s A&E wards, with thousands of patients waiting more than 12 hours.

“It makes a mockery of John Swinney’s claim that the health service is improving.

“We know that these horrific delays cost lives. Frontline staff are working tirelessly for their patients but they’ve been left firefighting because of the SNP’s dire workforce planning.”

Hitting out at the First Minister – who made a pre-election speech on Scottish independence on Monday – Dr Gulhane said: “John Swinney should be throwing the kitchen sink at this crisis. Instead, he spent Monday banging on about independence yet again.”

Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie meanwhile accused SNP ministers of having “given up on fixing” the problems in A&E departments.

She said: “The chaos in A&E is putting lives at risk day in, day out and piling pressure on hardworking NHS staff, but the SNP has given up on fixing this crisis.

“We have had years of warm words and empty promises from a succession of health secretaries and first ministers, but more than 8,000 people were left languishing in a waiting room for more than half a day in November.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton was also critical, saying: “Every month, the SNP are presiding over record-long waits at A&E – this is now the worst-ever November for A&E waiting times.

“On the SNP’s watch, half-a-day waits have gone from a rare occurrence to the new normal.

“A&E departments are backed up because hospitals are rammed. Hospitals are rammed because there are so many people stuck there who should be in care homes or looked after at home. It shows that you cannot fix the NHS without fixing social care.

“Scotland’s A&E patients deserve better.”

Health Secretary Neil Gray accepted that A&E departments “are facing sustained pressure”, adding that the “current performance is below the levels we want to see”.

He said: “We are working closely with health boards to ensure they have the support in place to cope with peaks in demand.

“We are investing £220 million to reduce waiting times, improve hospital flow, and minimise delayed discharges.

“This investment is supporting the development of front door frailty services in every health board in Scotland and expanding Hospital at Home capacity to at least 2,000 beds by the end of 2026. These measures will help us shift the focus of care from acute to community.”