Cole-Hamilton: SNP must act now to avoid winter A&E crisis

Responding to new figures showing only 63.1% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 7th September, while 3,786 people waited over 8 hours and 1,547 waited over 12 hours, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"Once again under this SNP government we have arrived into the autumn to find A&E waiting times already dangerously long. The Scottish Government must act now to prevent a looming winter crisis in A&E. It's creating a pressure cooker for staff that can only end in mass burnout.

"Too many people are stuck unable to leave hospital because they can't get the care package they need to leave safely. That is causing longer waits at A&E because hospitals are stuck at capacity.

"Fixing the problems in social care would help to increase capacity in hospitals and help to tackle these A&E waits. That's why Scottish Liberal Democrats fought for more money for social care in the budget and back a new UK-wide minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher.”