The number of patients who have waited over four hours to be seen at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin’s A&E department has risen by a “scarcely believable” 591% since 2018/19.
The figures have been uncovered through a Freedom of Information Request by Moray MP Douglas Ross, who has brandished the figures as “disgraceful”.
The SNP-Green government’s target is for 95 per cent of patients to be seen within four hours of arriving at A&E departments.
While 1180 patients suffered waits of over four hours at Dr Gray’s in 2018/19, that figure rose to 8,154 patients in 2022/23. Up to 31 October this year 4,792 patients had also suffered delays of more than four hours.
The FOI response to Douglas Ross also shows that since 2021/22, 187 patients have had to wait over a day at Dr Gray’s in A&E, while 1,732 patients have waited more than half a day since 2019/20.
Douglas says this is no fault of the “dedicated” frontline staff who are doing their best to treat patients as quickly as possible, but are failing to be supported by the SNP-Green government.
He says the “flimsy” NHS Recovery plan produced by then health secretary Humza Yousaf in August 2021 has failed to remobilise frontline services, while the “discredited and distracted” current SNP health secretary Michael Matheson has overseen “no improvement” in A&E waiting times.
Douglas says the “needless and excess delays” lead to “unnecessary distress” and urged Michael Matheson to get a grip on the crisis facing A&E patients at Dr Gray’s.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “Everyone has been well aware that waiting times at Dr Gray’s A&E have not been good enough, but these figures are scarcely believable.
“In the space of a few short years, there has been a near 600 per cent rise in the number of patients waiting beyond the target time of four hours to be seen at A&E. That is utterly disgraceful.
“Let me be very clear, this is absolutely no fault of the hardworking and dedicated staff on the frontline at Dr Gray’s who continue to go above and beyond to treat patients as quickly as possible.
“They have been failed by successive SNP health secretaries. Humza Yousaf’s flimsy NHS recovery plan has failed to remobilise A&E services, while Michael Matheson has overseen no improvement to A&E waiting times.
“Now he is discredited and distracted by the scandal engulfing him to be focused on tackling this crisis.
“We know these needless and excess delays – sometimes incredibly lasting over a day for suffering patients – can cause so much concern and distress. Michael Matheson must urgently address these figures and ensure patients do not continue to suffer extraordinarily long waits when they arrive at Dr Gray’s.”
