A&E waiting times improve ahead of busy festive period

Accident and emergency (A&E) waiting times across Scotland have improved over the last week ahead of what is expected to be an exceptionally busy festive period.

Figures from Public Health Scotland (PHS) show that 64% of people were seen within the four-hour target last week, compared to 59% the week before.

However more than 1,800 patients waited over 12 hours.

It comes as First Minister John Swinney reminded Scots only to attend A&E in a "genuine emergency" over Christmas.

According to PHS, A&E departments across the country recorded 26,521 attendances in the last week - nearly 1,500 less than the week before.

Of those patients, 63.5% of type 1 emergency attendances were completed within four hours - an increase from the previous week but still below the 2024 average of 64.7%.

The Scottish government target is that 95% of people attending A&E should be seen, admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours.

Meanwhile 14% of patients waited over eight hours, compared to 16.9% the week before, and 6.9% had waits of more than 12 hours, down from 8.6% previously.

Both figures remain above the 2024 weekly averages of 12.5% and 5.5%, respectively.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said A&E departments are "facing sustained pressure" and "performance remains below the levels we all wish to see".

Swinney visited NHS 24 and Scottish Ambulance Service staff who are preparing for the busy festive period.

He urged people to ensure they get the right care at the right place by checking the NHS inform website in the first instance if they become unwell.

People should call 111 for urgent but non-life-threatening concerns, mental health support, or advice when local services are closed.

Swinney said: "We know that demand for the NHS increases quite substantially over the festive period and there are a number of steps you can take to help yourself if you become unwell.

"A&E is expected to be exceptionally busy in the coming weeks so only attend if you have a genuine emergency that requires urgent medical treatment."

Scottish Ambulance Service chief executive Michael Dickson said: "Winter is always an exceptionally busy period and as demand on our service increases, we're asking the public to use our service responsibly by only phoning 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

"Currently over 50% of our calls are managed without having to take patients to A&E. However, for those who do need hospital treatment, system-wide pressures, including lengthy handover times in key areas, are having a direct impact on our ability to get crews back on the road to reach other patients."

MSP Brian Whittle, the Scottish Conservative public health spokesperson, said the waiting times figures highlight "emergency wards are at breaking point".

He said: "Despite the best efforts of frontline staff, the situation is so perilous that John Swinney has been reduced this week to pleading with patients not to go to A&E unless it's absolutely essential."

Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: "It is shameful that thousands of Scots are still facing long waits in A&E, despite Health Secretary Neil Gray promising to get on top of the issue.

"It is quite clear that the SNP government has no real plan and no ideas about how to address the problems in our NHS to restore it to the level the public need and deserve."