Rethink needed to avoid ‘brutal winter storm’ in NHS, ministers warned

Ministers are being urged to rethink NHS winter planning as clinicians warned the latest accident and emergency waiting times figures show the health service could be facing a “brutal winter storm”.

Dr John-Paul Loughrey, the vice-president for Scotland of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine was speaking as data for September showed 41,073 patients waited more than four hours in A&E before being admitted, transferred or discharged.

That was the highest total ever recorded for the month of September, Public Health Scotland figures reveal.

A total of 13,216 patients waited eight hours or more to be admitted, transferred or discharged, while 5,449 spent more than 12 hours in A&E – the highest number of half-day waits ever recorded for the month of September.

The Scottish Government has a target of 95% of all patients in accident and emergency being dealt with within four hours – which was achieved for 69.4% of patients in September.

Dr Loughrey said the figures “offer a chilling insight into the brutal winter storm that our members and their colleagues, as well as patients, are set to experience, when the inevitable spike in demand hits”.

He added: “Imagine putting on your scrubs every day, knowing that as soon as you walk through the doors of your A&E, you will be met by the scene of patients lining the corridors of your department, who have endured extremely long waits, with all the risk that brings.

“This is the reality of being an emergency medicine clinician and this situation will only be exacerbated during the coldest months to come.

“The Scottish Government must act now and re-think its winter planning to ensure emergency patients receive safe, dignified and timely care.”

Adding that Health Secretary Neil Gray had seen “first-hand the crisis that we are experiencing every day” on a recent visit to Monklands Hospital, Dr Loughrey said he hopes this will be a “catalyst for change”.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the latest “shocking” waiting time figures “once again confirm the SNP are presiding over a permanent crisis in our A&E departments”.

He added: “The numbers waiting over four hours and over half a day were the worst ever for a September on record since the SNP came to power over 17 years ago.

“Successive SNP health secretaries have failed to get a grip on this situation and A&E services are teetering on the brink of collapse as we head into the winter period.

“Neil Gray is completely detached from the reality facing dedicated staff and tens of thousands of suffering patients every single week in our hospitals, and his winter plan failed to offer any new solutions to support them.

“Time is fast running out if we are to avoid complete chaos in A&E in the coming weeks.”

Separate figures published for the week ending October 27 – the last full week of last month – show 63.4% of patients in A&E were either admitted, transferred or discharged within the four-hour target.

A total of 9,586 patients over the course of the week waited longer – with 3,487 waiting more than eight hours and 1,629 over 12 hours.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Under the SNP the NHS is teetering on the brink, staff are overwhelmed, and thousands are waiting far too long to be seen.

“These waits are from October, and they are already as bad as waits we have seen in recent winters.

“We need to see action now from the SNP to tackle this crisis in our NHS.”

Mr Gray said Scotland has “the best performing core A&E departments in the UK”, but he accepted “performance is not good enough”.

The Health Secretary told how the Scottish Government is “working closely with NHS boards to support a reduction in long waits”.

He added: “The sustained pressure services are facing is not unique to Scotland – with similar challenges being felt across the UK.

“The recent dip in performance is in line with typical seasonal trends. As we enter the winter period, a record number of NHS 24 call-handlers will be available to direct people to the most appropriate care, helping reduce unnecessary A&E attendances.

“The Scottish Budget this year provides more than £19.5 billion for health and social care and an extra £500 million for frontline boards.”