Tag: long waits

 Long ED waiting times in Scotland could take generations to recover if the issue isn’t a political priority

ROYAL COLLEGE of EMERGENCY MEDICINE RELEASES NEW REPORT

Without a sustained political focus on reducing extreme long waits in Scotland’s Emergency Departments, it could take more than 200 years to reduce the number of people enduring these waits down to levels seen in 2016.  

That’s the warning from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine following new analysis published today (24 March). 

Last year, more than 75,077 people waited 12 hours or more to be admitted, discharged or transferred from major EDs in Scotland.  

While this number is an ever so slight improvement from 2024 (76,510), at the current rate (a reduction of 1.8% a year) it would take 237 years to reduce these extreme long waits to their 2016 levels (1,005). 

These statistics and latest analysis are contained in RCEM’s ‘State of Emergency Medicine in Scotland’ report, published today. It sets out what patients and staff faced in Emergency Departments across the country last year, including the very real impact long waits are having on patients.  

Further analysis for the previous year (2025) reveals of those patients who waited 12 hours or more, 58,870 were waiting to be admitted to a hospital ward for further care.  

Using the Standard Mortality Ratio – a method which calculates that there will be one additional (excess) death for every 72 patients that spend eight–12-hours in ED prior to their admission – RCEM conservatively estimates that there were 818 associated excess deaths related with long waiting times in 2025. 

That’s the lives of 16 people lost every week. And remains unchanged from the previous year. 

Dr Jayne McLaren, RCEM’s Vice Chair in Scotland, said: “It’s deeply concerning, and put bluntly, a national disgrace, that over the course of a year, there has been no meaningful improvement in the number of patients waiting 12 hours or more in Emergency Departments across the country. 

“A small reduction of just over 1,400 patients waiting this long in the space of a year is nothing to celebrate. Because look at the sheer scale who still waited this long – 75,077. These are people not just numbers. And more often than not, they would’ve experienced this extreme wait on a trolley in a corridor, or another inappropriate space that was never designed to deliver care in.  

“But what’s most upsetting, as an Emergency Medicine consultant, whose whole profession is to help people in their time of need, is seeing how many people died because of the system not working as it should. 

“Ultimately, because there wasn’t an inpatient bed for them when they needed to be moved to a ward.  

“People are losing their lives. And today’s figures suggest that the same number of people died in association with long waits as in 2024.  

“This is a conservative estimate too. We know there may well be many more tragic deaths linked to long stays because this methodology only applies to one group of patients. 

“That needs to spark anger and upset from those in power to bring about the changes that are desperately needed in our hospital system.  

“Our State of Emergency Care report should serve as essential reading for ministers, NHS leaders and policymakers. It sets out clear, practical recommendations to make our emergency care system something that we can be proud of once again.  

“Patients, and those working within our Emergency Departments deserve so much better – a service that is safe, timely, and fit for purpose.”   

rcem-reportDownload

RCEM: Scottish government must act now to avoid a “truly ugly winter”

12-hour waits in EDs joint worst on record for October

The Scottish government must take urgent action on overcrowding and delayed discharges, or Emergency Departments (EDs) in Scotland will be completely swamped – and patients will be the ones who suffer. 

ED performance figures, released today (2 December 2025) by Public Health Scotland (PHS) for October 2025, showed that one in 16 (7,362) patients waited 12 or more hours before being admitted, transferred or discharged in that month.  

That is the same proportion as last October, which was the worst since records began in 2007 for 12-hour waits.  

The figures also showed:  

  • 16,659 patients, or 14.1% of all attendances, waited eight or more hours, the worst of any October on record, and an increase of 1,211 on last year 
  • Only 62.8% of patients were seen within four hours at major (Type-1) Emergency Departments, which is the worst four-hour performance for any October since records began and far below the target of 95% 
  • There was an average of 1,981 beds each day occupied by patients medically fit to be discharged 

These figures come shortly after the publication of the Scottish government’s winter plan, in which it pledged £20m to tackle delayed discharges across the devolved nation.  

Dr Fiona Hunter, RCEM Vice President for Scotland, said: “The figures for October demonstrate the unacceptable pressures our departments are under, and just how bad things are as we go into winter. 

“Now, seasonal pressures such as flu are beginning to hit EDs and the system is starting to crack under pressure,which means patients and staff are suffering. And we are only in the early stages of winter so it will likely become even worse for patients if nothing changes. 

“As our hospitals deal with the inevitable strains and stresses on vital resources that the colder weather brings we’ll once again see the consequences of the failure to properly tackle the issues EDs face; overcrowding, long delays and avoidable deaths. 

“The number of patients experiencing the longest waits is utterly unacceptable and something must change. Clinicians, through no fault of their own, are struggling to provide our patients with the care they deserve and need. 

“Last month, we welcomed the government’s £20 million funding announcement to boost social care capacity this winter, and its accompanying plan for the health service to tackle the cold months.  

“This showed that the government understood the issue. But we need that understanding to translate into further meaningful short and long-term action. Urgent action is needed to ensure that health boards can make the improvements that are needed to improve patient flow and tackle delayed discharges.   

“Our EDs will only get through the coldest months if the government steps in – or we all need to brace ourselves for a truly ugly winter.”  

Graphs of the data can be found on the RCEM website.

#ResuscitateEmergencyCare

RCEM demands clear government strategy as Scotland’s EDs record worst-ever February performance

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has asked ‘where are the tangible plans for Emergency Care?’ after Scotland’s A&Es experienced the worst February on record for performance.  

The figures, released yesterday (1 April 2025) by Public Health Scotland comes just a day after the Scottish government revealed its ‘operational improvement plan’ which RCEM says ‘missed the mark’ in tackling extreme and dangerous long stays in A&Es.  

The new PHS data shows that in A&Es in Scotland in February, 6,072 patients waited 12 hours or longer before being admitted, discharged or transferred.  

They also reveal just how much long waits have increased since the 2010s.    

Since February 2018, for example, the number of people waiting four hours or more in major EDs has increased by 3.4 times (10,979 to 37,274) eight hours or more by 13 times (1,023 to 13,638) and 12 hours or more by almost 35 times (174 to 6,072).    

Patients are often experiencing these extreme long stays on trolleys in corridors due to the lack of available in-patient beds.  

People in these beds are often stuck in hospital, despite being well enough to be discharged, because there is no appropriate social care support.  

So called ‘delayed discharges’ meant there was an average of 1,986 patients in hospital each day, waiting to be discharged, even though they are well enough to leave. This is the highest number for the month of February since 2016, when guidelines changes.  

Responding to the data, Dr Fiona Hunter, Vice President of RCEM Scotland said: “Scotland’s Health Secretary has said he is ‘encouraged’ by a weekly improvement to the four-hour target for admission, treatment or discharge – but our members and their colleagues certainly don’t feel encouraged when you look at the bigger picture.  

“Across the board – four, eight and 12 hour waits – were the worst on record for the month of February. 

“This should sound alarm bells to politicians and galvanise them to act before A&Es delve into an even deeper crisis.  

“This data comes hot on the heels of the government’s NHS improvement plan, which did little to reassure burnout Emergency Medicine clinicians that they won’t be treating patients, who have endured a stay on trolley in a corridor for 12 hours or more, in the weeks, months and years to come.  

“It was a golden opportunity, and it missed the mark.  

“It’s left us asking, where are the tangible plans for Emergency Care? 

“Time is ticking for the government to act and #ResuscitateEmergencyCare.” 

Yesterday’s data also comes after the release of the Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Review, published last week, which clearly evidenced the systemic problems in Urgent and Emergency Care across Scotland, and set out national recommendations.