Over 3,000 people are estimated to have died this year because they waited too long in Scotland’s A&E departments, according to research by the Scottish Conservatives.
Shadow health secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane has branded the findings “shameful” and a “damning indictment” on the SNP’s mismanagement of Scotland’s NHS over the last 17 years.
The Royal College of Medicine’s standard mortality ratio calculates that one in every 72 patients who experience a wait of 8-12 hours in A&E after being admitted will die.
Since the start of 2024, 226,328 patients waited over 8 hours to be seen in A&E in Scotland, leading to 3,143 excess deaths.
Dr Gulhane says that the SNP are presiding over a “permanent crisis” in A&E and successive health secretaries have failed to get a grip of “appalling” waiting times.
He added that the “disgracefully” high level of deaths must show SNP health secretary Neil Gray that his current approach isn’t working and urged him to ensure investment in the NHS gets to frontline care.
Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: “These findings are shameful and are a damning indictment of the SNP’s mismanagement of Scotland’s NHS over the last 17 years.
“It is shocking that these excessive delays at A&E are estimated to have resulted in over 3,000 deaths since last Christmas and my thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one.
“The SNP are presiding over a permanent crisis in A&E departments and successive SNP health secretaries have failed to get a grip of increasingly appalling waiting times.
“This disgracefully high number of excess deaths must show Neil Gray that he must change his current approach. He needs to urgently ensure that money invested in the health service is getting to the frontline, rather than being wasted on bureaucracy and middle managers.”
Notes:
Over 3,000 people have died this year due to long wait times in A&E. Research conducted by the Scottish Conservatives revealed that 226,328 people waited more than 8 and 12 hours in A&E leading to 3,143 excess deaths, (Scottish Conservative Research, 29 November 2024, available on request).
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) estimates that long waiting times in A&E are linked to excess deaths. They have used research to calculate that for every 72 patients who experience waits of 8 to 12 hours from the time of arrival in the Emergency Department, there is one additional death. This formula helps in estimating the number of excess deaths associated with crowding and delays in emergency care, (Royal College of Emergency Medicine, January 2023, link).