A&E in Scotland – 17% better than NHS England, fewest waiting more than 4 hours, for more than a year and fewest waiting more than 12 hours, for 4 months

Professor John Robertson OBA

From Accident and emergency Accredited official statistics for February 2025, published by Public Health Scotland today, for Type 1, full emergency departments:

818,710 (68.2%) of type 1 attendances were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours (compared to 18,082 (67.5%) the previous week, and 17,357 (64.7%) weekly average for 2024).

and the above table, showing the number waiting 4 hours or more has been falling for the 4th month in a row and is the lowest for more than a year and the number waiting 12 hours or more has been falling for the 4th month in a row and is at the lowest level since September 2024.

The equivalent figure for NHS England was 58.4% making the Scotland figure 16.7% better. Remember these relatively small percentage figures refer to thousands of patients waiting longer in NHS England than they would have in Scotland.

Scotland’s media, of course, will only be interest in the failure of the 68.2% figure to meet the 80% target for 4 hour waits and will not mention the improving trend.

Some reporters may investigate the comparable data for NHS England 12 hour plus waits and, excitedly, report that they are doing better than Scotland. In so doing, they will fail to spot the NHS England pochle of restarting the clock after decision to admit rather than the first time of arrival in A&E, used by NHS Scotland.

Why might we not trust the NHS England figures?

Royal College tells NHS England to copy NHS Scotland and tell the truth

BBC Scotland has accused NHS England of fiddling the figures by selecting which departments are included 

NHS England starts the clock again after patients are admitted while NHS Scotland counts from arrival in A&E

Sources:

https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/healthcare-system/urgent-and-unscheduled-care/accident-and-emergency/interactive-charts/how-long-people-spend-in-ae/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2024-25/

https://www.rcem.ac.uk/docs/Policy/Summer%20to%20Recover.pdf

https://fullfact.org/health/fiddled-accident-emergency-statistics/

https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-england-covering-up-true-scale-of-12-hour-hospital-

2 thoughts on “A&E in Scotland – 17% better than NHS England, fewest waiting more than 4 hours, for more than a year and fewest waiting more than 12 hours, for 4 months”

  1. O/T sorry John, but still on the subject of the SNHS.

    Scottish Government Improving Cancer Care

    Some positive things you will not be allowed to read about in the ‘Scottish’ media.

    Funding for projects to benefit patients and clinical staff.

    A total of £1.5 million funding in 2024-25 is supporting 12 projects to continue providing direct and personalised support to patients with cancer.

    Over £1.5 million will support 12 pilot projects across Scotland to deliver a single point of contact to people diagnosed with cancer.

    All of the people living within NHS Lothian, NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Grampian, NHS Highland, NHS Tayside and NHS Western Isles will benefit from this funding.

    Improving cancer care – gov.scot

    As an aside I don’t remember the ‘Scottish’ media informing any of their readers or viewers about this in 2019.

    £18 million funding for cancer support workers.

    A new £18 million partnership will make Scotland the first country in the UK to offer cancer patients guaranteed emotional, practical and financial advice.

    The Scottish Government and Macmillan Cancer Support are investing £9 million each to ensure everyone diagnosed with cancer has a dedicated support worker through the Transforming Cancer Care programme.

    First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced details of the programme on a visit to the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow.

    £18 million funding for cancer support workers – gov.scot

    The second thing I wanted to share, as the British media in Scotland seem to have ignored it, is this announcement today from NHSGGC:

    New Comfort Tote Bags For Teenage And Young Adult Cancer Patients At The Beatson

    These tote bags, created by the Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Team and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, in collaboration with the Youth Advisory Forum – which is part of the Managed Service Network for Children & Young People with Cancer – are filled with practical items to support young people newly diagnosed with cancer.

    They were launched today to mark the beginning of Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month, the tote bags are a small gesture to remind young people that they are not alone.

    New comfort tote bags for teenage and young adult cancer patients at the Beatson – NHSGGC

    So shamefully for them, not something that BBC, STV and The Herald are interested in because they can’t find a negative spin as reporting on it might be ‘mistaken’ as a good Scottish Government story!!!

    Begs the question of what is the actual purpose of the media in Scotland apart from anti Scottish Government SNP propaganda?

    JB

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