South Scotland’s Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments are in the grip of a ‘deadly crisis’ with long delays endangering lives, according to South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth.

Statistics obtained by Scottish Labour have revealed shockingly long waits at A&E departments across Scotland last year.

According to Public Health Scotland, in 2023 over 7,300 patients waited more than a day in A&E departments across Scotland before being discharged, admitted or transferred.

In NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s University Hospital Crosshouse, a patient waited in A&E for 122 hours – well over five days.

In Borders General Hospital someone waited over 88 hours, whilst NHS Lanarkshire’s University Hospital Wishaw recorded a wait of over 72 hours.

These eye-watering delays in South Scotland have continued into 2024, with patients in NHS Borders and NHS Lanarkshire facing unacceptably long waits this year.

The appalling situation in A&E departments has continued with the latest statistics showing that just 65.5 per cent of attendances were seen within four hours across Scotland.

In South Scotland just 66.9% in NHS Ayrshire, 60.3% in NHS Borders, 75.8% in Dumfries and Galloway, 55.1% in NHS Lanarkshire and 59.3% in Lothian were seen within 4 hours. The legal requirement is that 95% should be seen within 4 hours.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine have calculated that there will be an excess death for every 1 in 72 patients who spend between 8 and 12 hours in an Emergency Department.

Based on the numbers waiting over 8 hours in Scotland in 2023, this would equate to up to 2,000 excess deaths.

South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said: “Our local Accident and Emergency Units are in the grip of a deadly crisis because of excessive wating times.

“That some people have waited days to be seen is shocking and downright dangerous.

“We know NHS staff are working round the clock but the mismanagement of the Scottish Government means there are not enough of them and these figures show that it’s patients who are suffering with excessive waits.

“We need a proper plan from the Scottish Government to support our A&E departments by tackling delayed discharge to free up beds and investing in primary care such as GPs to avoid as many people ending up at A&E.”