Missing A&E waiting times just the norm, say LibDems

FAILURE to hit A&E waiting times targets has become the norm for the Scottish Government, the Liberal Democrats have claimed.

The latest official monthly figures show 92 per cent of the 144,638 patients were seen within the four-hour target time in August, under the 95 per cent goal.

This has dropped marginally from 93 per cent the previous month and is down three per cent from August 2017, the last time the monthly target was met.

Just under a quarter (24 per cent) of patients attending A&E in August were admitted to hospital.

Meanwhile, the weekly performance is at 88.7 per cent, with 316 patients waiting more than eight hours and 75 waiting more than 12.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Performance against the A&E waiting time has dipped below 90 per cent for three weeks in a row now.

“That hasn’t happened since April. The public will be worried about how the NHS will cope through busy winter months if it is struggling this much already.

“The process is far from seamless and that’s because there aren’t enough resources at each and every stage. Scotland’s social care system is under unprecedented pressure and as a result blocked beds are stopping other people leaving A&E.

“Missing this target has become the norm. People demand better from the Scottish Government.”