by BILL HEANEY
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Adam Harley MSP has today warned that the NHS is “gearing up for another grim winter” if SNP ministers do not act, as new figures revealed thousands of people waiting at A&E, around 2,000 people delayed in leaving hospital and tens of thousands fewer operations than before the pandemic.
New figures from Public Health Scotland show that:
- September 2026 was the third worst month ever recorded at A&E for the percentage of people seen within 4 hours. 20,138 people waited over 8 hours and 8,658 waited over 12 hours.
- At the September census, 1,978 people were delayed in their discharge from hospital.
- There have been 36,401 fewer operations between August 2025 and September 2026 than there were in the equivalent period before the pandemic.
On A&E waits, Adam, RIGHT, said: “Huge waits at A&E have become a normalised horror story in our NHS. Patients are being left on trolleys on corridors wondering if they’ll ever get the treatment they need.
“Staff and patients are gearing up for another grim winter if ministers don’t act now. The government must get serious about fixing the underlying problems in social care, letting people leave hospital on time, freeing up bed space and getting everyone the care they need.”
On delayed discharges, Adam said: “More than a decade ago, the SNP promised to end these delays, but they are now costing the NHS £1.2 million a day.
“When people are delayed in leaving hospital, more patients will wait excruciatingly long for an ambulance or at A&E.
“We need to get people the care they need and let them leave hospital on time by boosting pay and conditions for care workers.”
On cancelled operations, Adam said: “The SNP made big promises about supporting the NHS after the pandemic, but these figures tell a very different story.
“Having secured progress on projects like the Belford replacement in Fort William, Liberal Democrats know that we need to increase capacity to get more people treated.
“Ministers should listen to my party’s calls for a rolling 10-year NHS Workforce Plan, which would identify gaps in staff and resolve them early on.”