OVER 7000 LOCAL PATIENTS WAITED MORE THAN THE A&E TARGET IN 2017 

In 2017 over 7,500 patients waited more than the SNP’s target to be seen within 4 hours at Accident and Emergency at the RAH in Paisley, new figures reveal.  Information published by ISD Scotland today shows that 7,547 people waited longer than the 4 hours in the RAH, which is the nearest A&E department for residents in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven and Helensburgh last year.   A&E performance for the week between Christmas and New Year was revealed to be 65.6 per cent with one in three local patients at the RAH waiting more than 4 hours at A&E.  Earlier this week Nicola Sturgeon and Health Secretary Shona Robison apologised for the pressure on the NHS.  Local MSP Jackie Baillie said today’s figures show the need to invest in more services at the Vale of Leven hospital and a new A&E service north of the River Clyde.  The MSP said:  “The RAH in Paisley had the third longest waits for A&E in the whole country over the festive period. Our doctors, nurses and NHS staff in Paisley are doing the best they can but they don’t have the resources to cope with the demand from patients in West Dunbartonshire, Helensburgh and Lomond.  NHS staff are not getting the support they need from the SNP government in Edinburgh and as a result over 7,500 local patients had to wait more than the A&E guaranteed waiting time in 2017. Surely now the SNP Health Secretary will recognise that we need to invest in more services at the Vale of Leven hospital and a new A&E service, preferably at the Vale or at the very least, north of the river.”

Number of patients waiting over 4 hours at RAH A&E each month in 2017:

Source: Analysis of figures provided by ISD Scotland (http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Emergency-Care/Publications/data-tables2017.asp?id=2083#2083)