A&E waiting times improve but still ‘truly shocking’, Tories say

Many people still face “truly shocking” waiting times at emergency departments, the Scottish Tories have said, as the proportion of patients seen within the target of four hours reached its highest level since September.

Figures released by Public Health Scotland on Tuesday showed 67.3% of people (18,749) who went to A&E in the week ending May 12 were seen and admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

This was up from 65.2% the previous week and the highest level since the week ending September 17 last year when it was 67.4%, but remains far behind the 95% Scottish Government goal.

The figures also showed 2,896 (10.4%) patients spent more than eight hours in an emergency department in the week to May 12, down from 3,376 (12.3%) the previous week.

Some 1,226 (4.4%) patients spent more than 12 hours in A&E, down from 1,489 (5.4%) the previous week.

Opposition politicians said the SNP has “left Scotland’s A&E on crutches” and called for urgent action to tackle issues in the NHS.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane, who works as a GP while also serving as an MSP, said: “The SNP are continuing to preside over truly shocking waiting times in A&E departments.

“Every single week thousands of patients are not seen within the SNP’s target time of four hours and thousands more have to suffer potentially deadly delays of over eight hours or over half a day.

“The buck stops with the SNP for putting lives at risk in A&E. Humza Yousaf’s flimsy Covid recovery plan has monumentally failed and dire workforce planning has left my colleagues dangerously overstretched and unable to meet patient demand.

“Rather than continuing to push their independence obsession at every turn, John Swinney’s government should urgently be setting out a plan to cut NHS waiting times.”

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie also called for change.

She said: “The SNP has left Scotland’s A&E on crutches and patients and staff are feeling the pain.

“The last thing seriously-ill patients need is to spend eight hours or more waiting in a corridor while their condition deteriorates, but that is becoming all too normal in Neil Gray’s NHS.

“Our incredible hospital staff are making a superhuman effort to keep our vital health services going, but this cannot be sustained forever.

“The SNP must ditch the sticking plasters and give staff the support they need to reduce waiting times – but this urgency seems unlikely given its track record over the past 17 years.”

In the week ending May 12, there were 27,846 “unplanned attendances” at emergency departments in NHS Scotland compared to 27,363 the previous week, the figures showed.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Waiting times are longer than we want them to be for too many patients.

“We continue to work collaboratively with health boards to develop services, support sustained improvement and reduce A&E waits – this week’s four-hour performance is at its highest since September 2023.

“The pressure being felt by our A&E departments is not unique to Scotland, with similar challenges being felt by right across the UK.

“The 2024-25 Scottish Budget provides more than £19.5 billion for health and social care, and an extra £500 million for frontline boards.”