ONE FULL YEAR since NHS Lothian met A & E waiting times

Briggs blames SNP for ‘workforce crisis’

According to ISD figures the last time that the A&E waiting time target of 95% of patients to be seen within four hours, was met in NHS Lothian was 29^th October 2017.

A full year has now was passed and waiting time figures are still far below the 95% target, with only 85.3% of patients seen in Lothian hospitals being seen within 4 hours.

The Royal Hospital for Sick Children performs the best of the three Lothian hospital A&E departments with sick children seen within 4 hours hovering around the 95% target each week.

The latest figures for the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and St. John’s Hospital A&E departments are 81.7% and 83.8% respectively.

Last winter and the beginning of this year especially, bad weather and storms such as the Beast from the East, were blamed for increased pressure on A&E services.

In NHS Lothian over the last year there have been on average 4,322 patients seen every week with an average of 83% seen with four hours. For the year prior to this there were on average 4259 patients seen every week, with an average of 95% seen within 4 hours, meeting the Scottish Government target.

Since the target was last met 37,980 patients have had to wait in A&E for over 4 hours in NHS Lothian hospitals.

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP, said: “It has now been a full year since A&E target were met in NHS Lothian and they are showing no sign of improving.

“What is especially worrying is that we are approaching winter, when traditionally pressure on A&E services increases and subsequently waiting times.

“NHS Lothian staff work incredibly hard to care for every patient who comes through their door, but they are under increasing pressure and being let down by SNP Ministers who have led NHS Scotland into a workforce crisis over the last 11 years.

“I have written to the Health Secretary to ask firstly what additional support NHS Lothian will receive to deal with winter pressures and secondly to ask what longer term plans there are being discussed to improve waiting times for emergency services in NHS Lothian.”