By Lucy Ashton
Jackie Baillie has warned that A&E is stuck in a constant state of crisis following another week of dire waiting times figures at emergency departments which saw more than 200 people waiting for more than eight hours at the RAH.
In the week ending 6 November 2022, more than a fifth of people who attended for urgent care waited more than eight hours to be seen and admitted, transferred or discharged at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. And 72 people faced a wait of 12 hours or more.
Just over half (55.9 percent) were seen within the Scottish Government’s own target time of four hours.
This comes as a staggering 96.5 percent of Royal College of Nursing members within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who took part in the recent ballot backed industrial action.
This has led to nurses considering strike action for the first time in the RCN’s 106-year history. Ambulance staff belonging to the GMB also confirmed at the weekend that they would be walking out on Monday, November 28th and Unison members have rejected the Scottish Government’s pay offer.
Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie, SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and Pauline Howie, head of the Ambulance Service.
Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie said: “Patients are being put at risk and hardworking NHS staff are being badly let down.
“Humza Yousaf is the worst Health Secretary in the history of devolution and his disastrous stewardship will only become more dangerous as we go into winter.
“It is unbelievable that we have almost 100 people waiting for more than eight hours at the A&E department where people from Dumbarton, the Vale of Leven, Balloch, Helensburgh and Lomond attend having felt ill enough to seek emergency care.
“Things are only going to get worse as hard-working and fed-up staff walk out during this Winter of Discontent.
“We urgently need to tackle the chaos in our NHS before any more lives are lost.”
During week ending 6 November 2022:
- There were 25,123 attendances at Emergency Departments in NHS Scotland. 1044 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
- 65.1% of ED attendances were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours. 55.9 percent at the RAH.
- 3,021 patients spent more than 8 hours in an Emergency Department. 214 of these were at the RAH.
- 1,354 patients spent more than 12 hours in an Emergency Department with 72 of them being at the RAH