Big rise in those left waiting in Scotland's A&E departments
A Highlands Conservative MSP has said that a Audit Scotland report released today (Thursday) shows the performance of accident and emergency departments in Scotland has plummeted over the last five years.
The number of patients waiting four hours or more has almost trebled from 36,000 in 2009 to 104,000 last year.
Audit Scotland added that a further 11 per cent of patients are seen within 10 minutes of the four hour cut-off, meaning thousands are only just being treated in the target period.
Last year, the number of patients treated within four hours fell by four per cent compared to the number in 2009,.
Mary Scanlon, Scottish Conservative Highlands MSP, said: "Accident and Emergency is the 24/7 open door for the NHS and is highly valued by people across Scotland.
"This report highlights that A&E units are under pressure and the number of people being seen within four hours has reduced significantly since the SNP came to power.
"It’s disappointing that against this deterioration in A&E waiting times the number of doctors in training has also fallen. This just does not give the confidence that the SNP Scottish Government recognise the problem and are doing anything to address it in the future.
"As Depute Convener of the Parliament’s Audit committee I will have an opportunity to take evidence on this worrying report next week and I have also lodged an oral question with the Cabinet Secretary for Health on this issue next week to ask how the Scottish Government plan to respond to this disappointing report."
Royal College of Nursing Scotland Director Theresa Fyffe said the report highlights the relentless pressures on A&E departments and the "considerable challenges" that health boards face in trying to meet even the interim A&E waiting time standard for 95% of patients to be seen within four hours.
She said: "Since Audit Scotland last reported on this issue, the number of patients attending A&E has increased significantly. In particular, the number of people over 65 attending A&E – who are more likely than younger people to have long-term health problems and need more complex care – has increased and will continue to do so as a result of our ageing population.
"Those over 65 attending A&E are also more likely to be admitted to hospital, yet the average number of available beds across Scotland for all acute specialties has been cut by around seven per cent over the last five years.
"And while this is due in part to hospitals carrying out more day-case procedures, the most common cause of A&E delays is ‘waiting for a bed’. "This makes no sense and reinforces the need for the Government to look at the whole of the health care system and how changes in one area will impact another."
She added: "While the Scottish Government and health boards are carrying out work to reduce the number of people who are admitted to hospital on an emergency basis, this report makes clear that there is a long way to go to make sure our health service is able to cope with the demand that is currently being placed on it."
