Flu and ice blamed for targets being missed
Forth Valley Royal Hospital failed to meet the four-hour A&E waiting times target over Christmas and New Year with some patients having to wait more than 12 hours to be seen by medical staff.
According to Forth Valley NHS Board it was due to a big increase in patients admitted with flu and other respiratory illnesses, as well as factors like falls and slips due to icy weather, which put pressure on the A&E Department.
In the final week of 2017 just 57.3 per cent of A&E patients were seen to within the four-hour target set by the Scottish Government. This was well below the 78 per cent achieved across Scotland.
The figures also revealed, in that single week, 141 patients had to wait over eight hours for treatment with 35 patients waiting in the department for over 12 hours. That compares to zero patients waiting 12 hours or more for the same period last year.
Conservative Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Dean Lockhart said: “It’s widely accepted that winter is the toughest time for the NHS in terms of getting people seen to on time.
“But these figures are nothing short of a disgrace.
“Just when you think the SNP’s performance on this cannot get any worse, new statistics come out showing further regressions.
“The situation is so bad now that at Forth Valley Royal barely half of A&E patients were seen on time, with 35 patients waiting over 12 hours to be seen. For any individual to have to wait that long for treatment in any circumstances is completely unacceptable.
‘’We have had excuse after excuse from the Scottish Government, but despite the hard work of the staff the situation is at breaking point.’’
NHS Forth Valley this week pointed to challenges in meeting the fourhour A&E waiting time target over the last few weeks including a significant increase in the numbers of patients with flu and other respiratory illnesses who had to be admitted to hospital.
NHS Forth Valley medical director Andrew Murray said: “We are sorry that a number of patients have experienced longer waits during this busy period and we are doing everything possible to reduce delays.
“All patients attending the Emergency Department are assessed and those with more urgent or serious health issues continue to be given priority. Many patients attending the Emergency Department will also undergo tests and start treatment while they wait to be admitted or discharged.”
Scottish Government health secretary Shona Robison said: “It will take some time for services to recover from he pressures being felt this winter and for the spikes in flu levels to subside - however we are working to provide support to boards wherever they might need it, alongside the £22.4m investment the Scottish Government has already made available for winter contingencies.’’