Warning over winter as A&E performance in September is worst ever

Waiting times in Scotland’s accident and emergency departments have recorded their worst ever monthly performance on record – with new figures for September showing the four-hour waiting time target was missed for more than three out of 10 patients.

The opposition branded the latest data “utterly appalling”, claiming that there is now a “full-blown crisis that requires immediate action” in A&E.

Scottish Conservatives hit out after new statistics showed that during September a total of 5,296 patients spent 12 hours or more in A&E – with this representing about one in 25 patients (4.2%).

Meanwhile, one in 10 (10.2%) of patients were there for a minimum of eight hours – a total of 13,506 people.

The Scottish Government’s target of having patients seen and either admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours was met for 69% of patients in September – the worst monthly performance on record.

The latest weekly figures, which cover the seven days to Sunday October 23, showed the four-hour target was met for fewer than two thirds (65%) of patients in that period.

Over the week there were 8,473 patients in A&E for more than four hours, with 3,072 there for eight hours or more and 1,391 kept waiting for a minimum of 12 hours.

The statistics come amid warnings the NHS is facing a challenging winter, with Health Secretary Humza Yousaf conceding: “Our performance is not where I want it to be.”

But Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane blasted: “Under Humza Yousaf’s chronic mismanagement, A&E monthly waiting times were the worst on record in September – so winter scarcely bears thinking about.”

He described the latest figures as being “utterly appalling”.

Dr Gulhane, himself a GP, said: “Patients are often scared, distressed and in pain, while my colleagues on the front line are often having to treat them in trolleys and corridors.

“Dedicated NHS staff are doing everything they can to hold it together, but the reality is that some patients are dying as a result of these intolerable delays. Humza Yousaf’s incompetence is quite literally costing lives.”

The Tory insisted: “This is now a full-blown crisis that requires immediate action.

“If the Health Secretary can’t get a grip on this shameful state of affairs, then Nicola Sturgeon must personally step in and decide whether he is up to job.”

Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie was also critical of the Health Secretary, saying: “Record-breaking Humza Yousaf has once again let our NHS reach new lows, despite the tireless efforts of its incredible staff.

“A&E is in unprecedented chaos and lives are being put at risk every single week.”

Ms Baillie insisted: “Patients and staff are being badly let down by a Health Secretary painfully out of his depth.

“Humza Yousaf is the worst Health Secretary since the start of devolution and he is simply not up to the job.

“Scots need an NHS that works – if Humza Yousaf can’t deliver that, he needs to get his jotters and go.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said that “month after month we have seen records broken in our A&E departments”.

He added: “This means more people are waiting for longer and that there will have been more avoidable deaths. This is the toll that ministerial disinterest is taking on our NHS.”

Mr Yousaf said: “While Scotland’s A&E performance continues to be the best of all four nations, our performance is not where I want it to be.”

The Health Secretary said that A&E departments were continuing to “experience significant pressure”, adding that “in common with healthcare systems in the UK and globally, the pandemic is still impacting services”.

He continued: “I have been clear that recovery will not happen overnight and we are working to reduce system pressure as we enter what will be an extremely challenging winter period.

“We are supporting services through our £600 million winter plan which will see us recruit 1,000 new NHS staff, including up to 750 frontline nurses from overseas.

“Our £50 million Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative looks to drive down A&E waits by offering alternatives to hospital, such as Hospital at Home; directing people to more appropriate urgent care settings and scheduling urgent appointments to avoid long waits.”

The Health Secretary continued: “A&E pressures are being driven by delays in discharge elsewhere in our hospitals. That’s why a key focus of our winter plan is on social care and actions to encourage integration authorities to help ease delays.”