NHS emergency departments report critical wait times in England and Scotland

Emergency department performance across parts of the United Kingdom is facing significant pressure, with new data highlighting extended wait times in both England and Scotland.

In England, Derriford Hospital’s emergency department recorded the worst performance of any hospital trust for the eighth consecutive month. In September, only 36.2 per cent of patients were admitted, transferred, or discharged within the four-hour target. Of the 9,089 patients who attended, 5,796 waited longer than four hours. Regional performance in Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset also struggled, with no major trust meeting the 60.6 per cent national target. Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust reported a 47.2 per cent success rate in September.

In Scotland, the week ending October 4 saw the second-worst week for long A&E waits on record. Approximately 12,074 patients waited more than four hours, meaning only 58.9 per cent were seen within the target timeframe. Data also showed that 2,122 patients waited more than 12 hours, while 4,814 patients waited more than eight hours.