Flu cases causing ‘very high levels of winter pressure’ for NHS

An increase in flu cases means Scotland’s NHS is facing “very high levels of winter pressure”, health secretary Neil Gray said, as the latest figures showed more than two-fifths of patients waited longer than the target time in accident and emergency.

Gray spoke out as data from Public Health Scotland showed in the week ending December 29 – the final full week of 2024 – just 58.4% of patients in A&E were seen and either admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

That was the joint fifth-worst performance on record in weekly figures stretching back to 2015.

However, it was an improvement on the previous week’s performance of 56.7% – which was the third lowest percentage of patients dealt with in four hours since the data started.

The Scottish Government has set the target of having 95% of patients in A&E admitted, transferred or discharged in four hours, and commenting on the latest figures, the Health Secretary said: “It is clear from these figures that the NHS is currently facing very high levels of winter pressure and demand.

“This has been exacerbated by higher than normal levels of influenza infection in the community.”

The worst weekly A&E waiting times performance was recorded in the week ending December 18 2022 – when 54.8% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within the four-hour target.

The latest figures showed 23,986 went to the emergency room for help in the week ending December 29 2024 – with 9,983 of them there for longer than four hours.

That includes 3,860 patients who waited eight hours or more, and 1,642 who spent at least 12 hours in A&E.

Labour health spokesperson Dame Jackie Baillie hit out at the Scottish Government: “The SNP is setting all the wrong records when it comes to Scotland’s NHS.

“Rather than using the rest of the year to prepare for winter pressures, the SNP’s complacency has plunged our NHS into chaos.

“For thousands of Scots, the festive season meant a harrowing wait of more than 12 hours in A&E.”

She added: “After 18 years in power, it’s clear that the SNP is incapable of getting to grips with A&E.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton was also critical of the government, saying: “Under the SNP’s failed NHS recovery plan, we have seen our A&E services engulfed in crisis this winter.

“The last five weeks have all seen waiting times bad enough to rank among the 10 worst on record.”

He added: “These waits are intolerable for staff and patients alike. We need to see the Scottish Government finally take some urgent action to address this situation.”

Separate figures showed November 2024 was the worst November on record for A&E waits.

A total of 83,035 patients went to the emergency room for help over the course of the month, with less than two thirds (65.8%) seen and then admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

The four-hour target was missed for 43,216 patients, with 14,758 there for eight hours or more and 6,683 there for a minimum of 12 hours – with these all the highest totals for the month of November.

In the wake of the figures, Tory health spokesperson Dr Sandesh Gulhane claimed: “The SNP are continuing to preside over terrifying delays in our A&E departments which are only getting worse with each passing month.”

The Conservative MSP, who is also a GP, said: “Almost 18 years of SNP failure means A&E services are in permanent crisis mode and tens of thousands of patients are not being treated on time each month.

“Successive SNP health secretaries have allowed chaos to unfold in our hospital corridors and overwhelmed staff simply cannot meet demand despite their best efforts.”

Dr Gulhane added: “The SNP have no vision or plan to support our NHS and lives are at risk as a result.

“Neil Gray cannot continue to be missing in action. He must finally unveil a proper plan that guarantees money will get to the frontline, rather than being wasted on pointless bureaucracy, which doesn’t help treat a single patient at A&E.”

Gray, meanwhile, stressed it “remains crucially important that people only attend A&E in a genuine emergency”.

The health secretary said: “If this is not the case, there are online tools at NHS Inform, and NHS 24 can be contacted on 111.”

He added, however, that “for life-threatening emergencies” people should “always call 999”.

Gray added that the “sustained pressure” the NHS is coming under “is not unique to Scotland”.

But he accepted: “We recognise that performance is not at the level that we wish to see.”

First Minister John Swinney has “been holding regular meetings over the festive period, including one yesterday evening, to continue to work intensely with health boards to drive improvements”, the Health Secretary said.

Gray added: “The Scottish Government’s draft Budget will provide record funding to our NHS – which will transform patients’ experiences and everyone working on the frontline. I am asking Parliament to unite and back this record investment.”