SNP overseeing 'national scandal' as 2.4m Scots wait too long at A&E in Scotland
Almost 2.5 million Scots have waited too long at accident and emergency departments since the height of the Covid pandemic six years ago - amid fears that John Swinney’s SNP government is overseeing a “national scandal” in Scotland’s NHS.
SNP ministers have been accused of overseeing a “national scandal” after it was revealed that almost 2.5 million Scots have now waited too long to be seen at A&E since the Scottish government last met its own target.
John Swinney and his government ministers have argued that the NHS has turned a corner and seen improvements in recent months.
But new analysis has revealed there were 2,442,699 waits of more than four hours in accident and emergency departments since the SNP government last hit the flagship target.
The last time the Scottish government managed to hit the four hour wait target was exactly six years ago today, on 12 July, 2020.
The SNP government’s target is for 95 per cent of patients to be seen within four hours at A&E departments – but they have failed to achieve it since the height of the Covid pandemic.
Of the 2,442,699 total, 774,841 patients endured delays of more than eight hours, with more than 320,000 patients suffering waits in excess of 12 hours.
SNP ministers have acknowledged that Scotland’s accident and emergency departments are facing significant pressures.
As part of Mr Swinney’s re-election, he and his government have vowed to publish a new national plan for improving the flow of patients through Scotland’s hospitals, from arrival through the front door to being discharged, within the first 100 days of the new administration taking office.
Scottish Conservative health spokesperson, Miles Briggs, has argued that successive SNP health secretaries have allowed these long waits at accident and emergency departments to become the “shocking norm” in Scotland.
He added that under the SNP, Scotland’s health service is in “permanent crisis” mode and urged Health Secretary Angela Constance to get resources to the frontline to reduce A&E waiting times.
Mr Briggs said: “These shocking figures are nothing short of a national scandal.
“In the last six years, millions of Scots have been left to suffer in dangerously overcrowded A&E departments due to SNP inaction.
“We know these long waits lead to tragic and avoidable deaths, despite the best efforts of frontline staff.”
He added: “They have been abandoned by successive SNP health secretaries, who have allowed these waits to become the shocking norm in Scotland’s A&E departments.
“Angela Constance may be new to the job, but patients don’t have the luxury of waiting while another SNP health secretary finds their feet.
“After two decades of SNP incompetence, Scotland’s NHS is stuck in permanent crisis mode.
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“They must finally admit their approach has failed and back our plans to slash bureaucracy, cut middle management and get resources to the frontline to urgently reduce A&E wait times and save lives.”
May 2026 was the worst May on record for waiting times at A&Es in Scotland, with 16,612 people waiting more than eight hours and 6,978 waiting more than 12 hours
Driving this is a breakdown in hospital flow, largely brought about by exit block – where patients are not able to exit the hospital’s “back door” due to delayed discharges.
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, Adam Harley, said: “The scale of these waits is deeply concerning.
“Six years on from the target last being met, the figures show the situation is getting worse, not better.
“I speak to so many people who now expect to spend hours waiting in A&E. That should never become accepted as normal.”
He added: “When the SNP came to power, waits of more than 12 hours were exceptionally rare.
“Today, they have become a regular feature of emergency care in Scotland. Long delays leave patients waiting in pain and distress, and risk putting people off seeking help.
“A lot of this comes down to the neglect of social care. Nurses and doctors can’t get people through A&E because far too many hospital beds are occupied by people who are medically ready to leave but can’t because the care package they need isn’t available.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to encourage more people into caring professions and boost pay and conditions for care workers so that everyone is seen in good time and we get our NHS back on track.”
The number of patients being seen within the four-hour target has fallen from 98.1 per cent in May, 2008 to 67.7 per cent in May, 2026.
The data from Public Health Scotland shows the worst five Mays on record for wait times have been in the last five years.
Last year, 71.9 per cent of people at emergency departments were seen within four hours, dropping to 71.7 per cent in 2024 and 71.1 per cent in 2023 .
In 2022, 73.3 per cent of patients at A&E were seen within the target time.
Dr Stuart Strachan, Deputy Chair of BMA Scotland’s specialist, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) committee and an emergency department doctor, said: These figures on waits in emergency departments highlight the sustained pressure the NHS has been under for many years.
“While the Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the ability to deliver timely care, BMA Scotland had long warned prior to this that NHS capacity was failing to keep pace with the rising demand.
“It is deeply concerning that, six years on, patients are still facing excessive waits, which we know are directly associated with poorer outcomes and increased mortality. Unfortunately, it is not surprising, as none of the evidence suggests we have made any significant progress in putting our NHS on a sustainable footing.”
He added:"The changes needed to improve waiting times in emergency departments must address the pressures across the whole health and care system.
“That means ensuring services are properly staffed, with succession planning and resourced to deliver services; increasing hospital bed capacity to prevent hospitals operating at or beyond safe limits; and investing in social care so that patients who are medically fit can be discharged promptly and supported at home, or as close to home as possible.”
"We also need a credible, long-term NHS workforce plan that sets out how staff at every level will be recruited, retained and deployed to ensure services can be safely staffed, both now and in the future.
“Delivering this change won’t be a quick or simple process, but the decisions needed simply cannot be put off or ignored any longer if the NHS is to succeed in delivering for the people of Scotland. It is essential that the Scottish government urgently set out a comprehensive plan for the future of the NHS in Scotland.”
The Scottish government was approached for comment.
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