Edinburgh’s A&E services are in crisis, with wait times skyrocketing and patients facing unprecedented delays in care
Can you believe it? There’s been a 500% rise in patients waiting 12 hours or more in just three years. That’s wild!
In 2024 alone, there were 497,142 cases where folks waited too long. The Scottish Liberal Democrats are sounding the alarm.
They found a shocking 519% increase in 12-hour waits since 2021. Back then, there were only 12,638 cases. Now, it’s skyrocketed to 78,238.
Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Lib Dem leader, is calling out the SNP’s recovery plan as a total flop. He said it’s crazy that waits have only gotten worse since the plan started.
He’s not holding back, saying A&E is in a constant crisis. The numbers just keep climbing. In 2021, 248,736 patients missed the four-hour target. By 2023, that number jumped to 443,429.
A recent report from the Royal College of Nursing paints a grim picture. Patients are getting hurt because they can’t access basic care.
Cole-Hamilton pointed out that health workers have been warning about this for ages. He’s frustrated with the SNP for not providing enough beds and staff.
He believes this pressure will lead to burnout among health workers. He’s pushing for a new plan to fix the NHS and help staff.
Health Secretary Neil Gray admitted A&E is under pressure, especially in winter. But he insists Scotland has had the best A&E units in the UK for years.
He’s committed to improving patient flow and reducing wait times. If the Budget passes, it could bring £200 million to help with backlogs and improve services.
Let’s hope they can turn this around soon!
