Tag: winter plan

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 asks Scottish government: ‘Where is the tangible plan for winter?’

Emergency Departments record worst-ever September performance

Accident and Emergency

As Scotland’s Emergency Departments experienced the worst September on record for performance, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has asked the government: ‘where is the tangible plan for winter?’ 

The figures, released yesterday (4 November 2025) by Public Health Scotland, come as Health Secretary, Neil Gray, is reported to have said waiting times in A&E are ‘below the levels we all wish to see’.  

The PHS data, for the month of September, reveals 6,427 patients waited 12 hours or longer in an Emergency Department before being admitted, discharged, or transferred.  

That’s around one in every 19 people and the highest number who experienced this wait for the month of September since records began in 2007.  

The data, for major EDs in Scotland, also showed that in September 2025: 

  • 12-hour waits were almost 34 times worse than in September 2018 – that’s despite the number of people attending EDs only increasing by 4.5% in the same period 
  • One in eight people (15,348) waited eight hours or more to be discharged or transferred – the worst September on record 
  • 63.7% of patients were seen within four hours – again, the worst September on record and is far below the government’s target of 95% 
  • There was an average of 1,955 beds occupied by people healthy enough to be discharged – a decrease of only nine compared to the previous month 

The new data comes shortly after RCEM published its political manifesto for Scotland, urging all political parties to end overcrowding in EDs, and provide enough Emergency Medicine staff to deliver safe and sustainable care, along with adequate resources to ensure equitable care throughout the emergency care system.  

Meanwhile, recently published analysis from the College revealed there were more than 800 deaths associated with long A&E waits before admission last year. 

Dr Fiona Hunter, RCEM Vice President for Scotland, said: “These figures prove what I and many other EM clinicians already know – that we are in crisis and the depths of winter, when the inevitable seasonal pressure hits, is yet to arrive.  

“Our members and their Emergency Medicine colleagues tell me about the relentless pressure their hospitals are under and the impact this has on patient care – people are being treated in ambulances, in corridors, and other inappropriate spaces.  

“Our EDs don’t have elastic walls. These are visual signs our hospitals are full to bursting– we can’t move patients from our departments into wards because of a lack of available inpatient beds.  

“On top of dealing with system pressures, our clinicians are facing violence and aggression from those we are trying our best to care for – that can be caused by frustration over long waits. It’s beyond unacceptable.  

“We know that Scottish Health Secretary understands the scale of the issue, and just today acknowledged that ‘ED performance is below where it should be’.  

“But we are yet to see any tangible plan from the government about how it intends to tackle the season ahead – which will be nothing short of challenging.”