A&E target missed at Raigmore in August leaving 1200 patients waiting more than four hours
A Highland MSP has highlighted yet another missed target at Raigmore Hospital, as accident and emergency waits grow longer still.
NHS Highland recorded that 33.9 per cent of A&E patients at Raigmore Hospital had to wait over four hours before being seen by medical staff.
The service has been under critical pressure nationally since the pandemic highlighted significant failings in dealing with problems across the UK.
• Long waiting times at Raigmore Hospital spark plea from NHS Highland
Edward Mountain said the new figures show that the SNP’s target for 95 per cent of patients means that “in real terms, 1200 patients were kept waiting”.
He said that the government’s target for A&E is being “missed by a significant margin” at Raigmore and “many other hospitals and health boards across Scotland”.
The Conservative MSP said figures for the Highlands as a whole were slightly better – 16.8 per cent waited longer than four hours – Raigmore is “seriously letting the region down.”
Mr Mountain urged ministers to accept the scale of the crisis at Raigmore and in the wider NHS, especially as the strain on hospital resources is due to increase over the winter months.
He said: “I am hugely disappointed, though not surprised, that Raigmore Hospital has failed to meet the Scottish Government’s targets.
“I implore the Scottish Government to formulate a comprehensive plan to meet its accident and emergency waiting time targets, as the delays experienced at Raigmore are mirrored nationwide.”
He added: “As winter approaches we must ensure that all our health facilities are ready to respond as quickly as possible.”
