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Professor John Robertson OBA

Media coverage of waiting times in Type A&E departments tends to focus on longer term trends where, inevitably, there has been a worsening picture, in every part of the developed world and which is due to multiple, not fully understood, factors such as changing patterns of patient behaviour and expectations, in GP behaviour and in background socio-economic factors such as austerity and drug abuse. Hospitals do not have the power, the influence nor the resources to turn these long term trends around on their own.

There is little point harping on about A&E not matching percentages from years ago and in different times.

What we can do is look at medium term trends to see if these are still worsening or improving to assess whther the efforts within the NHS are working.

In NHS Scotland, we can see that the numbers waiting more than 8 and 12 hours have been improving. Seasonal variations such as the winter peaks are simply to be expected. What is clear is that fewer are waiting more than 8 and 12 hours in the summer of 2025 than in the summer of 2024.

In July 2024, for example, 13 247 waited more than 8 hours while 5 630 waited more than 12.

In July 2025, by contrast 11 928 waited more than 8 hours, 9.95% fewer , and 4 686 waited more than 12, 16.7% fewer.

For one year improvements, these are visible as steady in the graph, significant, especially the 16.7%, and worthy of media recognition.

They won’t get it.