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Almost 2.5 million Scots have now waited too long to be seen in Scotland’s A&E departments since the SNP last met their own waiting time target.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs said the figure is nothing short of a “national scandal”.

Analysis by the party reveals that 2,442,699 waits of over four hours have been recorded since the target was last hit exactly six years ago today (12 July 2020).

The SNP government’s target is for 95% of patients to be seen within four hours at A&E – but they have failed to achieve it since the height of the Covid pandemic.

Of the 2,442,699 total, 774,841 patients endured delays of over eight hours, with over 320,000 patients suffering waits in excess of 12 hours.

Miles Briggs said successive SNP health secretaries have allowed these appalling waits to become the “shocking norm” in Scotland’s A&E departments.

He added that under the SNP, Scotland’s health service is in “permanent crisis” mode and urged Angela Constance to get resources to the frontline to reduce A&E waiting times.

Scottish Conservative health and care spokesman Miles Briggs MSP said: “These shocking figures are nothing short of a national scandal.

“In the last six years, millions of Scots have been left to suffer in dangerously overcrowded A&E departments due to SNP inaction.

“We know these long waits lead to tragic and avoidable deaths, despite the best efforts of frontline staff.

“They have been abandoned by successive SNP health secretaries, who have allowed these waits to become the shocking norm in Scotland’s A&E departments.

“Angela Constance may be new to the job, but patients don’t have the luxury of waiting while another SNP health secretary finds their feet.

“After two decades of SNP incompetence, Scotland’s NHS is stuck in permanent crisis mode. They must finally admit their approach has failed and back our plans to slash bureaucracy, cut middle management and get resources to the frontline to urgently reduce A&E wait times and save lives.”

Notes:

There have been 2.4 million waits of more than four hours since the SNP last met their A&E target. Since the SNP last met their target for 95% of A&E patients to be seen within four hours, on 12 July 2020, 2,442,699 waits of over four hours have been recorded. Over the same period, there have been 774,841 waits in excess of eight hours and 320,860 waits exceeding 12 hours.  (A&E Waiting Times, 7 July 2026, link).