Cole-Hamilton: A&E wait times a grim warning of the winter ahead

Responding to new figures showing more than 1 in 3 patients missed the 4 hour A&E target in the week ending 8th October and 10.3% waited more than 8 hours to be seen at A&E, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

"Seeing these sorts of waiting times at this point in the Autumn is a grim warning for the winter ahead for our NHS.

"NHS staff are working flat out to try and get people the care they need, but they simply don’t have the beds, safe staffing and resources they need.

"We need to see action from this SNP/Green Government. That means an urgent inquiry into the hundreds of avoidable deaths linked to the emergency care crisis, a staff burnout prevention strategy and a health and social care staff assembly."