One in three of all emergency patients were kept waiting for more than four hours in Lothian hospitals’ accident units at the start of July, new government figures show.
The Tories slammed the SNP for focussing on another independence referendum rather than working to improve health services and reducing A&E wait times. But the Scottish Government said NHS has been under immense pressure from the pandemic and Scotland still has the best performing health board in the UK.
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They also said that Covid admissions and staff absences due to the virus are causing huge delays in A&E.
Only 63.6 percent of patients attending NHS Lothian’s A&E units were seen within the Scottish Government’s four-hour target in the week ending July 3, with 1,629 people kept waiting for over four hours. Some 632 were kept waiting for more than eight hours, with 279 of them unattended for over 12.
Public Health Scotland data shows NHS Lothian is performing just under the Scottish average of just 64.9 per cent of patients seen on time, and continues a downward trend since the start of lockdown in March 2020.
Lothians Conservative and Unionist MSP Sue Webber said the deteriorating situation should be a “new source of shame” for SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf. “Just when you thought A&E waiting times could not get any worse on Humza Yousaf’s watch, they hit another appalling record low,” said Ms Webber.
“Mr Yousaf’s flimsy NHS Recovery Plan simply isn’t cutting it for NHS Lothian’s patients, who face longer and longer waits at A&E, and the latest figures should be a new source of shame for him.”
Ms Webber said that deteriorating services were a product of the continued focus on another independence referendum, rather than improving basic services. “The deepening crisis illustrates Mr Yousaf’s continued failure to support our heroic frontline staff, while he and his colleagues are distracted by their vain pursuit of another divisive independence referendum next year,” she said.
“He must accept the reality that his recovery plan has come nowhere near to fixing the problems in our A&E departments and our dedicated doctors and nurses need him to show some leadership and grip.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Over the last two years our NHS has suffered the biggest shock of its 74 year existence, despite this, Scotland continues to have the best performing A&Es in the UK, outperforming those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for over six years.
“The number of Covid inpatients in hospital is rising which is resulting in reduced capacity in our hospitals and staff absences, and having a detrimental impact on delays in A&E.
“Despite these pressures, since July 2020 1,887,369 (79%) patients have been seen in our A&E departments within the four-hour target."
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They added: “We encourage people to think carefully before going to an emergency department and for many A&E will not be the right place for their healthcare need.
"People should consider whether their condition is an emergency, such as a stroke, heart attack or major trauma. NHS 24 is available for those who think they need A&E but it is not an emergency.
“Our new Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative programme, supported by £50 million, will support the implementation of a range of measures to reduce A&E waiting times and improve patient experience, including alternatives to hospital-based treatment.”
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