Scotland’s A&Es hit target third week in a row

Performance across Scotland’s accident and emergency departments was above the 95 per cent target during the final week of July, for the third week in a row.

Weekly figures show performance for A&E sites for the week ending 30 July was 95.3 per cent. This follows the latest monthly statistic publishing which showed performance across all sites for the month of June was at 95.5 per cent.

Shona Robison, Health Secretary in Scotland, said: “It is very encouraging that latest figures show that performance in A&Es across Scotland were above the 95 per cent target again - the third week in a row. Scotland’s A&Es have now outperformed those in the rest of the UK for 27 consecutive months.

“These positive results are thanks to the hard work of staff on the ground, both in emergency departments and elsewhere in the health and social care system.

“While we can expect some fluctuation week-to-week depending on seasonal pressures there has been continued focus on improvements in patient flow. For example, we are ensuring more people are discharged before noon and at weekends, helping to reduce delayed discharge, and meaning patients can be admitted to hospital more quickly if required.

“An additional £9 million has also been given to boards this year to help them continue to build upon these recent improvements.”