Scotland records worst month for long A&E waits on record

Scotland has recorded its worst month on record for long A&E waits, figures have revealed.

Some 10,374, or 8% of all A&E patients, waited more than 12 hours at emergency departments in January – a record.

In January 2016, just 422 people waited this long.

The figures, released by Public Health Scotland, also show that 19,806 (15.2% of all patients) waited more than eight hours – another record.

Those seen within the four-hour target dropped to 65.1%, or 86,605 people. This is worse than the 66.9% figure the month before but not the worst on record.

The Scottish Conservatives described the statistics as “horrific” and said they “exposed an NHS in perpetual crisis because of SNP incompetence”.

Dr Sandesh Gulhane, the party’s health spokesman, said: “Week in, week out, tens of thousands of patients are left stranded in overcrowded A&E departments.

“John Swinney has the brass neck to claim our NHS is on the mend – yet this is the worst month on record for waits of over half a day.

“We know these horrific delays cost lives despite the work that frontline medics are putting in.”

Dr Gulhane called for the SNP to be “booted out of office before they destroy our NHS for good”.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: “Despite all the spin from the SNP, we are still seeing new records being set for long waits at A&E.

“When the SNP came to power, half-day waits were a rarity, this January saw more than 10,000 people wait half a day. That’s hundreds every single day.

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

“I have repeatedly raised her case with the First Minister, as Margaret should have been home within 14 weeks, but she’s been in hospital for 14 months.

“It all goes to show that you cannot fix the NHS and bring down A&E waits without fixing social care.”

Dame Jackie Baillie, health spokeswoman for Scottish Labour, said: “For years, the SNP has promised to fix the crisis in our NHS, but more people than ever are dealing with dangerously long waits.

“These catastrophic figures show John Swinney and the SNP have no idea how to improve things in A&E.

“Patients are suffering, lives are being put in danger, and hardworking NHS staff are being let down.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our A&E departments are facing sustained pressures, as health boards continue to report high levels of hospital occupancy which is impacting 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.

“A&E performance is impacted by pressures from across the wider Health and Social Care system which is why we are taking a whole system approach as we work with health boards to deliver sustained improvement.

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

“To support winter activity, we are providing up to £20 million to fund increased social care and reduce pressure on the hospital front door, to make sure people get the right care in the right place.

“This includes funding for care at home and extra staffing to support emergency departments.”