Dozens more Scots die in deepening A&E crisis
●Doctors estimate 36 deaths could have been avoided in last week alone
Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments in Scotland are facing a “patient safety crisis”, doctors have warned, after waiting times hit a new worst level on record.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) estimated 36 Scots died as a direct result of avoidable delays in the week to March 30.
It comes as the number of people in hospital with Covid reached another record high, the worst cancer waiting times were reported since records began in 2006, and the Royal College of Nursing issued a warning that patient care is under “serious threat” from record-high staffing shortages.
The RCEM said it would “welcome” a decision to extend the legal requirement to wear face coverings in Scotland to protect the NHS.
Nicola Sturgeon is set to update MSPS on whether the rule will be scrapped as planned from Monday.
“Anything that can continue to reduce the spread and therefore try and relieve as much pressure as possible in the healthcare system would be welcomed,” said RCEM vice president in Scotland, Dr John Thomson.
Heath Secretary Humza Yousaf told MSPS yesterday that "ultimately the single most important factor in easing A&E pressure is controlling Covid transmission".
Just 66 per cent of people visiting A&E in the week to March 20 were admitted, transferred or discharged within the government target of four hours, according to Public Health Scotland.
This is the lowest figure since records began in February 2015, while the highest number of people ever waited over four, eight and 12 hours.
Some 1,015 people waited over 12 hours, the first time the figure has reached above 1,000, and a 34 per
cent increase on the nexthighest figure, recorded the previous week.
Last week also saw the worst performance ever for a single hospital,asthequeenelizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow achieved the fourhour target in just 40 per cent of cases.
Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary (ERI) recorded the third-worst performance, at 42 per cent. Some284peoplewaitedover12 hours at the ERI, while 86 waited that long at the QEUH.
Dr Thomson, who is also an emergency medicine consultantataberdeenroyalinfirmary, said the government must understand the “unconscionable” harm coming to patients.
“We have clear evidence that prolonged waits in an emergency department lead directly to patient deaths,” he said. “Good evidence that, irrespective of what the medical problem is that they present with, that long wait alone is associated with death.
“We can measure that quite clearly. One in 72 patients who wait in an emergency department
beyond eight hours will die as a direct result. In the last week alone we would estimate there were 36 avoidable deaths duetowaitsbeyondeighthours. That's unconscionable.”
A&E’S in Scotland are facing the“biggestpatientsafetycrisis for a generation”, he said. "The
workforce is decimated with a degree of Covid but also significant absences due to burnout.
“People are working in an environment in emergency departments that they shouldn’t.”
“We’re always crowded. We have patients waiting many
hours, if not days. We have ambulances queued up outside with patients breaching the four hour standard before they even leave the ambulance to get into the department.
“You can imagine the demoralisingmoralinjuryonstaff.we are trying to provide the best quality care in very difficult circumstances, and we are really unable to do so.”
Covid is not the sole reason for pressure on A&E departments, he said, but it is a factor, andthecollegewouldwelcome a decision to extend face covering rules.
“Given the current infection rates... then if that was the decision we would support that in terms of a necessary measure to try and reduce the spread of Covid,” he said.
“Ultimately, that impacts on us, either in terms of patients we're seeing within emergency departments or the capacity available within hospitals.”
Scottishhealthspokesperson Dr Sandesh Gulhane labelled the most recent A&E figures “atrocious” and they ought to “shame” the government.
Liberal democrat leader Alex Cole-hamilton said the health secretary and First Minister have “lost control” of the situation.
Scottish Labour said the government is “risking lives” with continued delays.
In response to the figures, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The unprecedented impact of the pandemic is continuing to take its toll on our NHS and these latest figures continue to underline the extent of the pressure on services. We are currently seeing record high levels of Covid transmission and more people inourhospitalswithcovidthan at any time during the pandemic and this rise in recent weeks hasinevitablyhadanimpacton services like A&E.”