Worst A&E waiting times since April

Responding to new figures showing only 63.2% were seen within 4 hours at A&E in the week ending 29th October (the worst since April) and 14.4% waiting over 8 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

"A&E wait times steadily increasing shows winter pressures are well and truly here for our NHS. The SNP/Green government have squandered the summer and left the NHS in a perilous state before the busiest time of the year.

"NHS staff simply don’t have the beds, safe staffing and resources they need. NHS staff have been sounding the alarm for months but now the SNP/Green government must listen before winter pressures grow any further, they need to act.

"That means an urgent inquiry into the hundreds of avoidable deaths linked to the emergency care crisis, a staff burnout prevention strategy and a health and social care staff assembly."