Responding to Scottish Emergency Department performance figures for August 2026, Dr Fiona Hunter, Scotland Vice President at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “These figures show that Scottish EDs continue to operate under sustained and unacceptable pressure, having experienced the worst August on record in terms of four-hour performance.”
Performance figures showed that:
- Only 62.3% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, far below the Scottish Government’s 95% target and almost on a par with performance levels in England.
- 13.4% of patients waited more than eight hours in major EDs, equating to 17,413 patients. This was at least 1.2 percentage points higher than any other summer month in the last 19 years.
- 5.4% of patients waited more than 12 hours, equivalent to 6,965 patients, almost 20 times higher than July 2019 levels.
- On average, 1,971 patients each day remained in hospital despite being medically fit for discharge, highlighting continued problems with patient flow and delayed discharge.
Dr Hunter said: “There has been no let up at all during the summer, and we worry about what lies ahead in winter – although it is very clear that seasonal pressures are a thing of the past and we are now in a state of year-round permacrisis.
“Overcrowding is rife – putting lives at risk – and too many patients remain in hospital despite being medically fit for discharge, which reduces bed availability and creates exit block in Emergency Departments.
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s recognition that improving patient flow through hospitals is vital, but recognition must be backed by urgent action.
“We need to see increased social care capacity, consistent seven-day discharge processes – as well as wider hospital services working extended hours – and shared responsibility for patient flow across the health system.”
