Best December in A&E since pandemic, figures show

Scotland’s emergency departments had their best December since the pandemic, figures show.

Statistics released by Public Health Scotland show 67% of patients were seen within the four-hour target time in the last month of 2025.

That figure is still well below the Scottish Government’s 95% target, but did show improvement from the same month in the previous three years, when the proportion of patients seen in four hours sat at 62.45, 66.5% and 63.4% respectively.

The number of people waiting more than 12 hours also decreased between December 2024 and 2025, falling from 8,906 to 7,451.

The number of people waiting more than eight hours also fell in that period, from 19,111 to 15,871.

The Scottish Government welcomed the figures, with a spokesman saying: “We are encouraged by the latest A&E waiting times stats showing that performance in December 2025 was the highest for any December since 2021, in spite of an earlier flu season, with NHS boards working to reduce waiting times and deliver improvements through our NHS Scotland operational improvement plan (OIP), backed by £220 million Scottish Government funding.

“Our A&E departments are facing sustained pressures, we continue to see higher levels of hospital occupancy which is impacting on patient flow and leading to delays at the front door.

“This situation is not unique to Scotland with all other UK nations experiencing similar pressures.”

But opposition parties hit out at the Government’s record on A&E waiting times, with Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie pointing to almost 78,000 attendances who waited more than 12 hours in A&E last year, and a further 178,521 who waited more than eight hours.

“Every single week, Scots are being put at risk by the SNP’s reckless mismanagement of our NHS,” she said.

“Our A&E departments have descended into a state of constant chaos despite the tireless efforts of hardworking NHS staff.

“The SNP has been missing in action for years and Scots and staff are paying the price.”

The Scottish Lib Dems pointed out that December was the eighth worst month on record for A&E waiting times.

The party’s leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, said: “Under the SNP our A&E departments have been stuck operating at crisis levels for years now and those long waits have become routine. December 2025 is among the worst months ever recorded for waiting times at A&E, yet it is not even the worst month of 2025.

“Before the SNP came to power, having to wait over 12 hours at A&E was a freak occurrence, it now happens more than 200 times a day.

“A&E departments are backed up, because there are so many people who are stuck in hospital and unable to leave because the care package they need is not available.”

Scottish Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the figure show the NHS is “on the brink”.

“Week in week out, thousands of patients are languishing in overcrowded A&E departments – while shameless SNP ministers have the cheek to claim our health service is on the mend,” he said.

“They’re desperately out-of-touch. These horrific delays are costing lives despite the best efforts of frontline staff, who are their wits’ end because the SNP have left them exposed to the elements.

“John Swinney and Neil Gray must listen to exhausted staff and patients who are desperate for a credible plan to address this national emergency.”