Scotland’s A&Es facing ‘patient safety crisis’ as waiting times hit new high

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) estimated 36 Scots died as a direct result of avoidable delays in the week to 30 March.

It comes as the number of people in hospital with Covid reached another record high, the worst cancer waiting times were reported since records began in 2006, and the Royal College of Nursing issued a warning that patient care is under “serious threat” from record-high staffing shortages.

The RCEM said it would “welcome” a decision to extend the legal requirement to wear face coverings in Scotland to protect the NHS.

“Anything that can continue to reduce the spread and therefore try and relieve as much pressure as possible in the healthcare system would be welcomed,” said RCEM Vice President in Scotland Dr John Thomson.

Dr Thomson, an emergency medicine consultant at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, said the government must understand the “unconscionable” harm coming to patients.

“We have clear evidence that prolonged weeks in an emergency department lead directly to patient deaths,” he said.

“Good evidence that, irrespective of what the medical problem is that they present with, that long wait alone is associated with death.

“We can measure that quite clearly. One in 72 patients who wait in an emergency department beyond eight hours will die as a direct result.

“In the last week alone we would estimate there were 36 avoidable deaths due to waits beyond eight hours. That's unconscionable.”

A&E’s in Scotland are facing the “biggest patient safety crisis for a generation”, he said.

Read full story

Source: The Scotsman, 29 March 2022