New Public Health Department records show that Scotland’s A&E waiting times have hit a record low, with only 70.9% of those who visited A&E this past week being seen within 4 hours.
Figures have shown that there were 24,116 attendees the week ending October 17th, two-thousand lower than the previous week and the lowest number since May.
Only 3 NHS boards (NHS Western Isles, NHS Shetland and NHS Orkney), hit the 95% target set, with less than 300 attendees between them all.
Here is how all the Scottish NHS Boards performed:
| NHS Boards | Attendees | % seen in 4 hours |
|
NHS Ayrshire & Arran |
1,680 |
74.4 |
|
NHS Borders |
522 |
82.4 |
|
NHS Dumfries & Galloway |
751 |
81.4 |
|
NHS Fife |
1,096 |
72.9 |
|
NHS Forth Valley |
1,159 |
46.9 |
|
NHS Grampian |
1,707 |
75 |
|
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde |
6,024 |
67.1 |
|
NHS Highland |
1,123 |
84.5 |
|
NHS Lanarkshire |
3,758 |
62.1 |
|
NHS Lothian |
4,582 |
71.1 |
|
NHS Orkney |
94 |
95.7 |
|
NHS Shetland |
115 |
97.4 |
|
NHS Tayside |
1,442 |
92.9 |
|
NHS Western Isles |
63 |
98.4 |
|
Scotland |
24,116 |
70.9 |
Source: Public Health Scotland
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government says: ‘Our NHS staff have faced unprecedented pressures as they work tirelessly and consistently to respond to the pandemic while continuing to provide vital treatment and optimal patient care. The Health Secretary has been very clear that this winter is likely to be the most challenging in the history of the NHS.’Source: Public Health Scotland
1,786 people spent more than 8 hours in A&E during the same week and 515 spent over 12 hours.
According to the Scottish Government website: ‘95% of all A&E patients should be admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours of arrival at an A&E department across NHS Scotland (including Minor Injury Units).’. The last time Scotland’s A&E times hit this target was July 2020.
This marks the third week in a row that the percentage of those seen at A&E within the 4-hour target has drop and with a challenging winter ahead, many are concerned this pattern could be set to continue.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton says: ‘The health secretary cannot expect to muddle on and for the Army to bail him out. If staff are to be convinced to stay, we need to see long-term options on the table, including an honest workforce management plan and a revised NHS Recovery Plan.’
