This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
WAITING times in accident and emergency departments in Scotland are the second-worst on record, with almost a third of patients having to wait longer than four hours.
Just under 70 per cent of A&E patients were seen within four hours in the week ending December 12, according to the latest NHS Scotland weekly figures.
A total of 7,285 people waited longer than four hours before being seen, including 1,803 who had to wait more than eight hours, and 598 who were left waiting for more than 12 hours.
The Scottish government target of 95 per cent of patients being seen within four hours has not been met since July 2020.
Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “Despite the heroic work of front-line staff, our underfunded and overstretched A&E departments are in crisis.
“With omicron cases set to surge, we urgently need greater support for A&E services and the staff that work in them. Failure risks the collapse of A&E services across the country and avoidable loss of life.”
The Scottish government has been approached for comment.
