Bad weather hits A&E waiting times

Latest figures show that across Lothian hospitals in December, 95 per cent of patients were seen within the four-hour target – the second worst performance in Scotland.

That equates to nearly 1,000 patients waiting more than four hours with the situation worst at the ERI – the country's busiest A&E – which could only manage to see 93 per cent within the timeframe.

Health chiefs have long complained about patients showing up at casualty wards unnecessarily with minor ailments, and that – along with the weather conditions and increase in injuries – is being blamed for missing targets.

Health board medical director Dr Charles Swainson said: "Our accident and emergency departments are busier than ever and our staff are working extremely hard to ensure patients do not face long waits to be seen. We are working with the government to help meet the agreed patient waiting times.

"The ERI is Scotland's busiest emergency medicine facility, seeing around 9,000 people a month. We are actively encouraging people to consider if they need to attend A&E. We offer a range of alternative services."

Last year, the health board was regarded as one of the best in Scotland on casualty waiting times. Now only the health board in Dumfries and Galloway is worse.

The Sick Kids saw 98.2 per cent of their patients within four hours. St John's Hospital in Livingston's levels sat at 96 per cent for December, while the Western General was slightly above that.

Holyrood targets dictate that 98 per cent of patients should be seen within four hours. The last time Lothian-wide waits were this bad was in September 2007, when the figure was 94.9 per cent, but that was at a time when expectations from the Scottish Government were far lower.

Lothians Conservative MSP Gavin Brown said: "I hope that these figures simply represent a blip due to the adverse weather conditions. Given the state of pavements during the festive period, the staff at A&E departments within NHS Lothian, and across Scotland, coped admirably with the pressures placed upon them."

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "Today's statistics also reveal the challenge posed for accident and emergency departments with 97.2 per cent of patients seen within the four-hour target. But we should not underestimate the progress that has been made in this area. In March 2007, just 91.6 per cent of patients were seen within the four-hour time bracket."