BAILLIE: MATHESON MUST ‘ACT NOW’ TO END PERSISTENT A&E CHAOS

 By Bill Heaney

Jackie Baillie has urged the new Health Secretary to recover our NHS after Humza Yousaf’s stewardship, as new figures show A&E performance remaining dire on his watch.

In the week ending 9^th April 2023, a shocking 172 patients waited over eight hours at the emergency department at Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital to be admitted, transferred or discharged.

Only 57.7 percent of attendees were admitted, transferred or discharged within the four hour standard set by the Scottish Government, higher than the Scottish average of 64.9 percent.

Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie, right,  said: “The crisis in our A&E has gone on for far too long and we need immediate action to fix it.

“Scotland cannot afford any more of the status quo and this must be a wake-up call for new Health Secretary Michael Matheson.

“NHS staff and patients are suffering due to the incompetence of those in government. Patients in my constituency in Dumbarton, the Vale of Leven, Balloch, Helensburgh and Lomond are suffering with long waits at A&E as a result. This can have dire consequences.

“It is high time that Matheson takes real steps to recover our NHS after Humza Yousaf’s disastrous time as Health Secretary, listens to frontline NHS workers and acts now to end the chaos in our NHS.”

During week ending 9 April 2023:

• There were 24,840 attendances at Emergency Departments in NHSScotland, 1125 of which were at Paisley’s RAH.
• 64.9 percent of ED attendances were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within four hours. The figure at the RAH was 57.7 percent.
• 2,602 patients spent more than eight hours in an Emergency Department, 172 of which were at the RAH.