The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
A&E waiting times highest since January
The number of patients spending 12 hours or more in accident and emergency has reached the highest total since the end of January, new waiting times figures show.
The figures have been described as “atrocious” by the Scottish Tories.
Official data revealed that in the week ending April 7 a total of 1,723 people spent half a day or more waiting for help in A&E.
That is above the weekly average of 1,112 recorded during 2023, and is the highest total since the week ending January 28.
Public Health Scotland data showed 62.1% of the 25,768 people who went to A&E in the first week of April were either admitted, transferred or discharged within fours hours.
That is down slightly from the 62.6% recorded the previous week, and continues to be well below the Scottish Government target of having 95% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.
Over the week ending April 4, there were 9,756 patients who spent more than four hours in A&E, with this including 3,627 who were there for eight hours or more, as well as the 1,723 who waited 12 hours or more.
The Scottish Government said the long weekend at Easter had resulted in “increased numbers” of patients in A&E, as well as fewer patients being discharged from hospital and higher levels of staff absences.
With the government accepting “waiting times are longer than we want them to be for too many patients”, opposition politicians demanded action from Health Secretary Neil Gray.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “These atrocious figures show that Scotland’s A&E crisis is growing even deeper on the SNP’s watch.
“We are now well into spring, yet more and more patients are suffering potentially deadly delays due to the SNP’s inaction.”
Dr Gulhane, who is a GP as well as an MSP, insisted: “It is now the shocking norm that more than a third of patients have to wait more than four hours to be treated at A&E.
“These delays are what you’d expect at the height of winter, not in April – Neil Gray must urgently get a grip of this situation.”
Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Dame Jackie Baillie said: “Every single week long A&E waits are putting lives in danger, but under the SNP things are getting worse instead of better.
“We urgently need a real plan to end this perpetual crisis in A&E, starting by supporting staff and tackling delayed discharge.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex ColeHamilton said: “Normally at this time of year you would expect to see waiting times improve as we get past the busy winter period but, right now, it’s moving in the opposite direction.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We continue to work collaboratively with health boards to develop services, support sustained improvement and reduce A&E waiting times.
“The 2024-25 Scottish Budget provides more than £19.5 billion for health and social care and an extra £500 million for frontline health boards.
“An initial investment of £30m in the NHS, the first instalment of a £300m investment over three years, will target reductions to pandemic backlogs and patients waiting the longest time.”