There’s been a huge spike in the number of patients forced to wait more than 48 hours in Scotland’s crisis-ridden A&E wards, according to “terrifying” official figures.
Data from Public Health Scotland shows that almost 600 patients endured two-day waits in accident and emergency in 2022 and 2023 combined – something that was almost unheard of five years ago.
Just eight people waited over two days in 2019, rising to 10 in 2020 and 34 in 2021. But the figure soared to 390 in 2022, with a further 194 recorded last year.
The stats also show the number of people waiting more than 24 hours to be seen in A&E skyrocketed from 48 in 2019 to 7,783 in 2023.
The number of patients waiting over 36 hours has also risen dramatically, from 10 in 2019 to 1,018 last year.
Dr Sandesh Gulhane, the Scottish Conservatives’ shadow health secretary, says that these “appalling” figures are symptomatic of “the SNP’s mismanagement of our NHS”.
Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: “The thought of anyone having to wait two days to be seen in an A&E ward is terrifying – and completely unacceptable.
“The clue is in the name: accident and emergency. Time is of the essence. We know that excess delays lead to tragic and avoidable deaths.
“These appalling figures are the product of the SNP’s mismanagement of our NHS.
“Years of dire workforce planning by a succession of SNP health secretaries has left dedicated staff unable to cope with the demands placed upon them – and the intolerable surge in two-day A&E waits proves the crisis is escalating.
“The current health secretary Neil Gray must take action now to cut waiting times. He should start by adopting the Scottish Conservatives’ bold plans to deliver a modern, efficient and local NHS.”
Notes to editors
From 2019 to 2023, 15,043 people waited over 24 hours in A&E. From the week ending 20 January 2019 to the week ending 31 December 2023, 15,043 people had to wait over 24 hours in A&E in Scotland before being discharged, admitted, or transferred. In one week, the week ending 8 January 2023, over 500 people had to wait over 24 hours in A&E. (Public Health Scotland FOI Response, 10 January 2024, link; Public Health Scotland FOI Response, 20 January 2023, link).
From 2019 to 2023, 636 people waited over 48 hours in A&E. From the week ending 20 January 2019 to the week ending 31 December 2023, 636 people had to wait over 48 hours in A&E in Scotland before being discharged, admitted, or transferred. In a majority of weeks in that time period, at least one person had to wait over 48 hours in A&E. In one week, the week ending 26 March 2023, 30 people had to wait over 48 hours in A&E. (Public Health Scotland FOI Response, 10 January 2024, link; Public Health Scotland FOI Response, 20 January 2023, link).
Data for 2023 can be found here:
https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/contact-us/freedom-of-information-foi-and-environmental-information-regulation-eir-requests/freedom-of-information-request-log/phs-foi-2024-001769/
Data for 2019 to 2022 can be found here:
https://publichealthscotland.scot/contact-us/freedom-of-information-foi-and-environmental-information-regulation-eir-requests/freedom-of-information-request-log/2023-001471/