Wait times at record levels amid calls for Yousaf to quit
HEALTH Se c r e t a r y Humza Yousaf has come under further pressure as new figures show a record 1925 Scots spent 12 hours or more waiting in accident and emergency in the week leading up to Christmas.
The data reveals that in the week ending Sunday, December 25, just 56.9% of patients in A& E were seen and then either admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.
That is well below the target of 95% set by the Scottish Government – but is an improvement on the 55% recorded the previous week.
The figures from Public Health Scotland ( PHS) show that in the week to Christmas Day, A& E departments dealt with 22,892 patients.
Of those, 9862 waited more than the four- hour target time – with 4156 patients in A& E for eight hours or more.
A total of 1925 patients waited for a minimum of 12 hours – up from 1821 the previous week.
PHS said the figures would be an under count as data for both NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Borders was missing.
The Scottish Tories branded the figures
“appalling” as they urged First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to sack Mr Yousaf, while Scottish Labour said it is “clear Humza Yousaf must go”.
Tory health spokesman Sandesh Gulhane said: “Enough is enough. Nicola Sturgeon must take her fingers out her ears, sack Humza Yousaf and recall Parliament to outline emergency measures to ease this unprecedented crisis.”
He said the “appalling figures lay bare the crisis in Scotland’s A& E wards under Humza Yousaf’s inept leadership”.
Dr Gulhane added:
“Despite the Herculean efforts of frontline staff, waiting times in our emergency departments are unacceptable due to years of dire workforce planning by successive SNP health secretaries, and the flimsy recovery plan of the current one. “We can’t tolerate a situation where almost 2000 patients are waiting over halfaday to be seen, because we know these delays lead to loss of life.” Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “These damning statistics lay bare the carnage in our A& E departments over Christmas and make it clear that Humza Yousaf must go, and go now.
“Staff are working tirelessly but the inaction of this SNP Government has left them facing an impossible struggle. We are only halfway through this winter so there is much more to come.”
Mr Yousaf said: “We know that this is one of the toughest winters in the NHS’s 74- year history and the latest A& E figures clearly demonstrate the challenge our health service is facing.
“Covid has clearly still not gone away and these pressures, combined with pandemic backlogs, are making it a very challenging time for the NHS.
“We are also dealing with flu which has been classified at extraordinary levels.”
“In October we published our £ 600 million winter plan which will see us recruit 1,000 new NHS staff. Our £ 50 million urgent and unscheduled care collaborative looks to drive down A& E waits through hospital at home and our out- patient antimicrobial therapy service which allows patients to be treated at home or in the community.