A&E waiting times worst since December
Waiting times at A&E departmentsinscotlandare at their worst since December, new figures show.
It comes as health boards around the country warn of high pressure on services and longer than usual wait times.
In the week to July 4, just 81.6 per cent of patients arriving at A&E were seen and admitted to hospital or discharged within four hours. The Scottish government target is at least 95 per cent.
The figure is the lowest since the week of December 22, when it fell to 79.8 per cent in the wake of a massive spike in Covid cases cases which would force Scotland back into lockdown on Boxing Day.
Broken down by NHS board,thefiguresvaryfrom 70.5 per cent seen within four hours in NHS Lanarkshireto97.9percentinnhs Orkney–althoughthelatter includedjust146attendances at A&E.
Some 75.1 per cent of patients were seen within four hours in NHS Forth Valley.
Several health boards have warned of “exceptionalpressure”inrecentweeks.
In most cases this is not due to high numbers of peopleinhospitalwithcovid–althoughnumbershave risen–butbecauseofacombination of non-covid illnesses in hospital and high Covid cases in the community, meaning staff having to self-isolate after contact with a positive case.
Judith Park, Director of Acute Services at NHS Lanarkshire said: “Our A&E departments continue to be extremely busy just now and we are asking people to please keep our A&ES safe for those who need critical care by accessing the appropriate healthcare service for their ailment.”