NHS Highland A&E Waiting Times Reach Crisis Point After Four Years

The NHS Highland has not met the Scottish Government’s four-hour waiting time target for Accident and Emergency (A&E) services for over four years, affecting nearly 60,000 patients. According to data released by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, the last time the target was achieved was during the week of May 9, 2021. Since that date, a staggering 59,489 individuals have experienced waits exceeding four hours, with more than 14,000 waiting over 12 hours and 5,299 enduring delays of more than eight hours.

The Scottish Government aims for 95 percent of patients to be seen, admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours of arrival in A&E. Unfortunately, this target has remained elusive in the Highlands for a total of 219 weeks, leading to increasing calls for urgent action from local political candidates.

Political Response and Calls for Action

Local politicians are sounding the alarm over the ongoing crisis. Neil Alexander, the Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Inverness and Nairn, voiced concerns about the chronic underperformance of A&E services. He stated, “A&E services in the Highlands have been in trouble for years. Staff are stuck working under pressure cooker conditions, and patients are stuck having to wait hours for vital care.”

Alexander highlighted that despite the turnover of multiple Health Secretaries, no substantial improvements have been made. He urged the public to consider voting for the Scottish Liberal Democrats in the upcoming May elections, asserting that investment in social care is crucial to alleviate pressure on A&E and ambulance services.

Similarly, David Green, the Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland, and Ross, expressed his concern regarding the state of A&E waiting times. He noted the significant distances that patients must travel to reach emergency services, emphasizing, “We must remember that behind every statistic is a patient waiting for what must feel like an eternity.”

Current Situation and Government Response

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has previously indicated the necessity for a “whole system approach” to address the issues plaguing A&E departments across Scotland. Reports have shown that NHS services are under considerable strain, with Raigmore Hospital declaring a “code black” on 104 days in the year leading up to March 31, 2024. This designation indicates that one or more services are at full capacity, potentially resulting in cancelled operations and appointments.

In response to the ongoing crisis, Health Secretary Neil Gray acknowledged that some patients are “waiting too long for treatment.” He assured that the Scottish Government is “determined to drive improvements,” stating that emergency departments in Scotland have been the best performing in the UK for a decade. Gray confirmed that a significant investment of £200 million will be allocated to reduce waiting times, enhance capacity, and improve patient flow through hospitals.

Plans to shift the balance of care from acute settings to community-based solutions are also underway, with aims to provide direct access to specialist frailty teams in every emergency department by summer 2025 and expand the Hospital at Home initiative to at least 2,000 beds by the end of 2026.

As the situation develops, the focus remains on ensuring that patients receive timely care and that the pressure on A&E services is alleviated. The political discourse surrounding this issue is likely to intensify as the May elections approach, with local candidates using these statistics to galvanize support for necessary reforms in the healthcare system.