Stone condemns ‘appalling’ 12-hour A&E waiting times for very elderly patients - Scottish government promises £200M NHS investment will help
Far north MP Jamie Stone has accused the Scottish Government of failing elderly and vulnerable patients over unacceptable A&E waiting times.
Mr Stone, the Scottish Liberal Democrat (SLD) MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, has accused the SNP of failing some of “our most vulnerable patients” after research by the SLD found that 337 people aged over 85 waited more than 12 hours at A&E departments in the Highlands last year.
An SLD freedom of information request to Public Health Scotland revealed that in 2024:
• 337 people in the Highlands aged over 85 waited more than 12 hours at A&E in
• These long waits affected 8.7 per cent of all over 85s who attended A&E in the Highlands.
“What’s more, last year NHS Highland spent £21 million on locum staffing last year – indicating a serious shortfall in permanent staffing,” said Mr Stone.
Last year, the far north MP secured the first adjournment debate of the new parliament on the topic of health services in rural areas. Speaking in the debate, Mr Stone voiced his concerns that the centralisation of health services, combined with inadequate accommodations for key workers travelling and working in remote areas, had created a healthcare crisis in the far north.
Mr Stone added: “It is appalling that so many older patients are waiting for what must feel like an eternity in A&E in the Highlands. Rapid diagnosis and treatment is so important for ensuring that additional complications don't arise.
“Under the SNP Government, our health service is teetering on the brink. Their NHS Recovery Plan has completely failed- patients and staff in the far north deserve so much better.
“Addressing the crisis means improving access to community care like GPs and dentists, so that fewer Highlanders end up in A&E in the first place. Scottish Liberal Democrats also want a new UK-wide minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher; this would get people the social care they need, helping them leave hospital on time and cutting excessive waits in emergency departments.”
David Green, the SLD candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, added: "Our doctors and nurses are working extremely hard to provide the best possible care, but they are not being given the resources they need.
"These figures are deeply concerning, all the more so when you consider the distances travelled to reach A&E.
"We cannot forget that behind every statistic is a patient waiting for what must feel like an eternity. Across health and social care, our local communities deserve so much better."
In response to the SLD accusations, health secretary Neil Gray said: “Our A&E departments are facing significant demand with similar pressures being felt right across the UK. Health Boards are working closely with the Scottish Ambulance Service to manage the flow of patients through A&E and our staff are working to ensure patients are seen as quickly as possible.
“We know some patients are waiting too long for care and this is not good enough. We are determined to reduce long waits and drive improvements – that is why we are investing £200 million to address backlogs and improve capacity.
“By this summer we will deliver specialised frailty teams at the front door of every A&E in Scotland, enabling frail patients with complex needs to bypass A&E and receive the specialist care they need in the most suitable location for them – whether that be in hospital or at home – meaning better care for these patients while reducing pressure on our A&Es.”
A spokesperson for the health board said: “To ensure patients have the fastest access to the treatment they need, if you think you need to attend A&E, but it is not life or limb-threatening, call NHS 24 on 111.”
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