Waiting times at A&E hit a new low point
Politicians from opposing parties have voiced their concerns after it was revealed that NHS Lanarkshire had their worst week on record for A&E waiting times during March.
The Central Scotland region MSPS are calling for urgent action from the Scottish Government to tackle the ongoing problem.
For the week ending Sunday, March 20, just over half of people (56.3 per cent) who attended A&E in NHS Lanarkshire were seen within four hours. That compares to a nationwide average of twothirds (66.2 per cent).
Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay has called on the government to investigate the situation.
“The A&E waiting times at NHS Lanarkshire are a real cause for concern,” she said. “This is the worst performance to date for NHS Lanarkshire.
“Like health boards across Scotland, NHS Lanarkshire is under immense strain and more must be done to support the health professionals who are working round the clock whilst under unprecedented pressure.
“The current waiting time performance does not reflect the hard work and dedication of the teams in emergency care.
“I have previously spoken to the Cabinet Secretary about this issue but, given the ongoing nature of the performance, I believe the Scottish Government must investigate this situation to see if more support can be provided to NHS Lanarkshire.”
Statistics for the previous week, ending Sunday, March 13, were already the second worst on record and almost a third (63.1 per cent) below the Scottish Government target of 95 per cent of patients being seen within four hours.
Another Central Scotland MSP, Meghan Gallacher, branded those figures “beyond disgraceful”.
The Conservative politician called for an urgent strategy to address the crisis, criticising Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf ’s NHS Recovery Plan.
“This is happening week after week and our heroic staff in NHS Lanarkshire simply cannot cope anymore.
“More and more patients in NHS Lanarkshire are suffering excessive waits and we know that these lead to avoidable deaths.
“We need to finally see an urgent strategy to tackle these lengthy waits at A&E from SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf.
“He’s seen this crisis engulfing NHS Lanarkshire for months yet has done nothing about it and is still pointing to his flimsy NHS
Recovery Plan from last August.
“That’s not good enough and these figures could get even worse in NHS Lanarkshire if he doesn’t get a grip once and for all.”
Of Lanarkshire’s three A&E departments Wishaw saw just 54.2 per cent within the four hour compliance target of those attending during the week ending
March 13, that rose to 58 per cent the following week.
The percentage seen at Monklands fell from 72.5 to 58.5 per cent on the respective dates, while Hairmyres fell from 63.2 to 52.2 per cent.
Dr John Thomson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, has labelled the current situation “untenable and unsustainable”.
He said: “Each week the Urgent and Emergency Care crisis worsens. Scotland’s Emergency Care system is failing patients who are coming to harm, and failing staff who are overworked, exhausted, and burned out but are left to cover the widespread shortcomings of the health system.”
He called for immediate and effective action, adding: The Scottish Government must understand the severity and extent of harm befalling our patients, and see that existing staff facing moral injury, going above and beyond, running on goodwill and adrenaline is not reasonable or acceptable.
“This can no longer be the sole answer to the biggest patient safety crisis in Emergency Care for a generation. This must not continue.”