Tuesday 6 August 2024
Improving A&E waiting times needs to be UK-wide effort.
This is the response from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) as data shows one in nine people waited eight hours or more in Scottish A&Es in June.
A&E performance data released today (Tuesday 6 August 2024), by Public Health Scotland reveals June was the worst June since records began in 2011 for four-, eight-, and 12-hour waiting times.
More than one in three patients waited four hours or more in Emergency Departments in Scotland (34.7%), with more than one in nine waiting eight hours or more (11.9%), and almost one in 21 waiting 12 hours or more (5%).
Long waits have increased significantly since 2010. Since June 2017, four hour waiting times have increased by nearly seven times (+586%), eight hours or more by 47 times (+4,642%), and twelve hours or more by 138 times (+13,781%). This cannot be attributed to the 2.5% increase in the number of people attending A&Es during that period.
As the former Health Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan is confirmed as the new First Minister, Dr Adrian Boyle, President of RCEM has urged all nations within the UK to tackle hospital overcrowding and extended wait times.
He said: “The data is stark, but the reality is even worse, and this is not a problem confined to Scotland. Across the whole of the UK A&E staff are working to their absolute limits. But the onus shouldn’t be on staff to try to compensate for years of under-funding, under-resourcing and the distinct lack of social care options to be able to discharge patients. People simply should not have to wait this long to be seen in A&Es – it is dangerous, and people across the UK deserve better.
“The College would like to congratulate Eluned Morgan on her appointment as the new First Minister. We hope to work together to resuscitate emergency care in Wales.”
Graphs illustrating Scotland A&E performance data for June can be found here.
