A&E waiting times hit all time high in Scotland

‘UNDERFUNDED, OVERCROWDED and, at times, UNSAFE’

New data released yesterday (5 March 2024) for Scotland reveals January was the worst month on record for people waiting to be seen in A&E.

The figures published by Public Health Scotland show that, in January 2024:

• 41,161 (38%) patients waited over four hours in major Emergency Departments, a 21% increase compared to last January (33,962) 
• 17,077 (16%) of patients waited eight hours or more in Emergency Departments, almost 13 times higher than in January 2016 (1,338) 
• 8,402 (8%) of patients waited twelve hours or more in Emergency Departments, the largest amount for any January since records began and 36 times higher than in January 2016 (232). 

There were 1,866 beds occupied due to delayed discharges, an increase of 53 compared to December 2023. 

Dr JP Loughrey, Royal College of Emergency Medicine Vice President for Scotland said: “This is beyond exasperating. Most people attend A&E in desperate need – to be seen by a medical professional quickly and with dignity.

“Already struggling, patients are having to endure overcrowded waiting rooms and corridors – for hours. If admission is required, they must wait for a bed – for hours.

“This latest data makes for grim reading, and it is incredibly demoralising for my colleagues to be working under such strenuous circumstances.

“They are working all out to put patients first whilst also having to carry the burden of working in an underfunded, overcrowded, and at times unsafe emergency care system. We need intervention from the Government and policy makers to ensure we never reach this nadir again.”

The data also reports:

In January 2024, there were 108,427 attendances at major Emergency Departments in Scotland. This is marginal decrease of 0.25% compared to the previous month. 

• 62% of patients were seen within four hours at major (Type 1) Emergency Departments. This is the worst four-hour performance for any January since records began.
• This is a decrease of 0.5 percentage points compared to December last year and a decrease of 3.2 percentage points compared to January 2023. 
• 41,161 (38%) patients waited over four hours in major Emergency Departments. This is a 1% increase compared to December last year (40,763) and a 21% increase compared to January 2023 (33,962). 
• The number of patients waiting more than four hours has increased by more than three times compared to January 2016 (9,808). 
• 17,077 (16%) patients waited eight hours or more in Emergency Departments. 
• The proportion waiting this long has increased by 2% compared to the previous month, December 2023 and has increased by 2.3% compared to the previous year, January 2023. 
• The numbers waiting more than eight hours is almost 13 times those in January 2016 (1,338). 
• 8,402 (8%) of patients waited twelve hours or more in Emergency Departments  
• This is the largest amount for any January since records began. 
• The proportion waiting this long has increased by almost 1% compared to December last year and has increased by more than 1% compared to January 2023. 
• The numbers waiting more than 12 hours is 36 times those in January 2016 (232). 
• There were 1,866 beds occupied due to delayed discharges, an increase of 53 compared to December 2023.