A&E services in Scotland in ‘disarray’ as figures show more than 30,000 patients waited longer than 12 hours in past seven years

Opposition parties have warned accident-and-emergency services are in “disarray” after figures showed more than 30,000 patients waited longer than 12 hours in the past seven years.

Waiting times in emergency departments are at record highs, but the problem of lengthy waits predates the Covid pandemic.

Pro-UK campaign group Scotland in Union found since 2015/16, a total of 30,111 patients waited longer than 12 hours in A&E across Scotland.

Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said: “The NHS is presently under incredible strain with record waiting times across Scotland.

Since 2015-16 a total of 30,111 patients waited longer than 12 hours in A&E across Scotland.

“But there has been a long-term failure by the SNP to get waiting times to acceptable levels and hit its own targets.

“This has resulted in a lack of resilience built into our NHS, exacerbating the crisis when Covid hit.

“These figures show just how important it is that the Government prioritises our cherished NHS and gives staff and patients the support they deserve, rather than trying to divide us with an unwanted second independence referendum.”

The national target is for patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

Up to November, the number waiting more than 12 hours in the 2021/22 financial year was 9,936 – a massive increase from 2,878 in the full 2020/21 year.

Services last month recorded the worst ever weekly performance against the four-hour target.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie claimed A&E services in Scotland were in “utter disarray, with lives being lost as a result”.

She said: "Staff have worked tirelessly, but successive SNP ministers have turned their back on these key workers and the patients that they treat.

"The state of A&E services is an indictment on years of SNP failure. Humza Yousaf must act to end the crisis now."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the figures were not a surprise.

He said: “Staff are doing everything they can, but the situation remains precarious. This is the inevitable consequence of a decade of SNP mismanagement.

"The Scottish Government should be taking urgent steps to retain staff this winter with a burnout prevention strategy that protects their physical and mental health.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland has the best performing A&Es in the UK. In fact, Scotland’s A&Es have outperformed those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for over six years.

“The most recent NHS Digital comparison of 12-hour waits in the UK showed that the number of people waiting over 12 hours in England in A&E was proportionately eight times higher than in Scotland, and the rate in Wales was over 21 times higher.

“In the last seven years there have been more than 10.8 million A&E attendances in Scotland with over nine in ten people being seen, treated or discharged within four hours, and with 99.7 per cent seen in under 12 hours.”