Scottish A&E in ‘permanent crisis’ as thousands wait 12 hours or more

Scottish accident and emergency care is in “permanent crisis”, according to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM).  

It comes as the latest data on emergency departments for May were published by Public Health Scotland.  

The new data shows that, across the board, the performance of major (type-1) emergency departments deteriorated, and one in eight patients waited 12 or more hours before being admitted, discharged or transferred in May 2026.

That equates to over 6,800 people who waited for over 12 hours in Scottish emergency departments and is the highest proportion for the month of May since records began.  

The RCEM has said that it has been caused by a breakdown in hospital flow, largely brought about by delayed discharge.

Fiona Hunter, RCEM Scotland vice president, said: “There is no good reason for emergency departments (EDs) to be struggling this badly at this time of year.  

“This is not winter. We are not grappling with seasonal illnesses like flu. We are in what is supposed to be the ‘easier’ months in emergency medicine.  

“But long-term neglect of the ED crisis has left us unable to cope even in the warmer months. We are in a permanent crisis.”

She said waits experienced in May will persist “until the Scottish Government steps in and takes real action”.

Hunter added: “We need hospital flow to be a priority. For this to happen, the Scottish Government must focus on bringing hospital bed occupancy down.  

“Doing this, through bolstered social care and extended working hours throughout the system, would ease the exit block which is causing total congestion in EDs.”

The latest publication of data by Public Health Scotland also shows that 12.5 per cent of patients waited eight or more hours to be admitted, discharged or transferred, while a daily average of 1,917 beds were occupied by patients who were medically fit to leave.

Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “For years the SNP has promised to fix the deadly crisis in A&E, but things are worse than ever.

“The SNP need to end the broken promises and put in place a real plan to fix this mess – supporting staff, easing pressure on hospitals and improving primary care.

“Scotland deserves better, and we cannot afford any more A&E chaos.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Adam Harley MSP said: “When the SNP first took power, virtually no one was waiting more than 12 hours at A&E. Now, nearly 7,000 people experienced these waits in May alone.

“People are waiting what must feel like a lifetime at A&E because there are too many beds occupied by patients who can’t get the care package they need to return home.”

Health secretary Angela Constance said: “A&E departments continue to experience significant pressure and there was a 7.8 per cent increase in the number of people attending Scotland’s A&Es in May, compared to the previous month. These pressures are not unique to Scotland with other UK nations facing similar demands.  

“I am committed to improving A&E performance and tackling delays for patients. That’s why we will be publishing a new national plan for improving the flow of patients through our hospitals, from the front door to discharge, within our first 100 days.”