Adobe StockScotland’s accident and emergency departments are under “significant pressures” going into winter, health secretary Angela Constance conceded, as the proportion of patients dealt with inside the four-hour target time fell to its second lowest on record.
Public Health Scotland’s data showed that in the week ending November 1 57.8% of patients in A&E were seen and then subsequently admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours – down from 58.9% the previous week.
The only time the percentage of patients admitted, transferred or discharged inside four hours has been lower was in December 2024, when it fell to 57.5%
In the wake of the figures Constance urged people to attend at A&E “only when necessary”, with the health secretary adding this “supports our dedicated health and social care staff, who remain the cornerstone of our winter response”.
But Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Mils Briggs warned: “These atrocious figures point to another terrifying and miserable winter ahead in Scotland’s A&E departments.”
He spoke out after the figures showed that in the seven days to November 1 a total of 12,056 people spent longer than four hours in A&E.
This was only the third time ever the total number of patients for whom the four-hour target was missed has exceeded 12,000 – with this having happened previously in December 2022 and then again in the week ending October 4 this year.
Performance in A&E departments continues to be significantly below the Scottish Government’s target of having 95% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged inside four hours.
The latest figures showed that 5,095 patients – 17.8% of all cases in A&E – were there for more than eight hours, up from 16.8% of cases the previous week.
And there were 2,464 people – 8.6% of cases – who were in A&E for a minimum of 12 hours, up from 7.9% the previous week.
Calling for action from the Scottish Government, Briggs said: “John Swinney and his ministers must stop pretending everything is fine and finally get a grip on worsening A&E waiting times, which are leaving patients suffering scandalous delays for treatment.”
The Tory added: “The SNP’s flimsy winter recovery plan will continue to leave thousands of patients languishing at A&E every single week because frontline services don’t have the resources to meet demand.”
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Dame Jackie Baillie said: “These damning statistics from earlier this autumn show that the brewing winter NHS crisis is beginning to bite.
“There is simply no excuse for the repeated failure of this government to get to grips with the crisis in our A&E departments.”
Constance said: “Our A&E departments are under significant pressures as we head into the winter period and we are asking people to play their part by using services appropriately – calling 999 only in a genuine emergency, dialling 111 for non-emergencies, and using A&E only when necessary.
“This supports our dedicated health and social care staff, who remain the cornerstone of our winter response and continue to show great resilience and determination.”
The health secretary added the government is “taking action through our plan to improve hospital flow, which includes expanding Hospital at Home services, and implementing the ‘discharge without delay’ approach in all health boards this winter, which will see people discharged within three days of admission if clinically appropriate”.
She continued: “We have launched a new public awareness campaign, shifting the focus to wider healthcare services such as pharmacies, to help people access the right care in the right place, at the right time.”
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