A&E performance

During the month of May 2016, 94.5% of patients were seen and subsequently admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours from Scotland’s A&E departments.

This is one percentage point higher than May 2015 and the best performance during the month of May since 2013.

Also published today are performance figures for the week ending June 26, when 95.8% of patients attending core A&E departments, which are 24 hour, consultant led sites, were seen within four hours.

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said:

“As we have seen throughout the year, A&E performance will fluctuate from week to week and also from hospital to hospital as pressure on the service varies.

“Improvement has been made over the year, with today’s figures showing the best May performance since 2013 and we are continually working to retain and build on this improvement to ensure patients get the service they rightly deserve.

“Nationally, our core accident and emergency performance has remained better than elsewhere in the UK for the last 14 months of published data, from March 2015 to April 2016.

“To achieve this, health boards are continuing to implement our six essential actions which aim to minimise long delays in A&E and assessment units by improving patient flow throughout all areas of the hospital and community.

“We have also put record investment in place and increased staffing to help meet demand and are working closely with health boards to minimise any dips in performance.

“We want to see long-term, sustainable change put in place in order to maintain high levels of performance during peaks and troughs, which is why we are committed to focus support in this key patient care priority.”

During the four hour period patients will be clinically assessed and undergo tests and treatment, before subsequently being discharged or admitted to hospital. The four hour period covers treatment and discharge/admit decision making.