The number of patients waiting more than four hours in accident and emergency reached its highest total on record in August, with the Scottish Government accused of an “extraordinary failure” as more than 50,000 people took longer than the target time to be dealt with.
New figures from Public Health Scotland showed that in August two-thirds (66.7%) of A&E patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.
However this target was missed for 50,747 patients – with this the highest total ever – up from the previous record of 49,538 in December 2022.
Performance at Scotland’s A&E departments continues to be significantly below the Scottish Government target of having 95% of patients seen and subsequently admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.
“Compliance has been below 80% since summer 2021,” Public Health Scotland noted.
The data for August showed 17,717 patients (11.9%) were in A&E for eight hours or more, with this up from 10.1% the previous month
And there were 7,071 patients (4.8%) in A&E for 12 hours or more over the course of the month, with this also up from 3.8% in July.
These appalling figures are an extraordinary failure by the SNP
Health Secretary Angela Constance – who will give a statement to MSPs later this week on NHS winter planning – said she was “clear the status quo cannot continue”.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs said: “These appalling figures are an extraordinary failure by the SNP.”
Hitting out at the Scottish Government, Mr Briggs said: “On their watch, we are now seeing the worst ever A&E waiting times being recorded at the height of summer, rather than the depths of winter.
“The number of patients waiting over four hours in August is now almost 10 times higher than it was when the SNP came to power in 2007.
“Patients are paying the price for years of failure, with thousands now facing waits of 12 hours or more just to be seen in A&E.”
He added that First Minister John Swinney “cannot keep claiming the NHS is improving while the SNP presides over record-breaking waits”.
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Adam Harley said: “The situation in our A&E departments is truly desperate.
“Doctors are now describing it as ‘terrifying’.
“It is utterly unacceptable that patients are stuck in waiting rooms and corridors for hours on end, worried if they’ll ever get treated.”
Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Dame Jackie Baillie said the figures “show an NHS buckling under enormous pressure, despite record funding for the Scottish Government”.
She added: “Scotland’s A&E experienced the worst August on record, with over 50,000 attendances waiting longer than the four-hour access standard, with more than 17,700 spending over eight hours waiting, and more than 7,000 waiting for over 12 hours.
“Emergency consultants have been warning of the serious consequences of failing to address the problem for years.”
The figures for August came at the same time as weekly waiting times data showing just three out of five A&E patients (60.3%) were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours in the week ending September 27.
The last time the weekly performance was worse than that was the week ending April 5 – when only 59.9% of patients were dealt with inside the target time.
Public Health Scotland data for the final full week of September showed that, of the 29,248 people who went to A&E for help, a total of 11,616 were there for more than four hours.
This includes 4,755 patients (16.3%) who were there for at least eight hours – with this up from the previous week and higher than the 2025 weekly average of 12.3%.
Meanwhile, there were 1,993 (6.8%) patients in A&E for half a day or more – with this total again up from the previous week, and higher than the 2025 weekly average of 5.3%
Ms Constance stressed the Scottish Government “is committed to improving A&E performance and tackling long delays”.
The Health Secretary added: “The challenges facing Scotland’s NHS are not unique compared to the rest of the UK, but I am focused on ensuring people get the care they need as quickly as possible and I am clear the status quo cannot continue.
“That is why I published a new national plan in August to improve the flow of patients through hospitals and I will be setting out a further range of winter planning measures that we have been working on with NHS boards and local authorities in a statement to Parliament this week.”