Edinburgh Royal Infirmary records worst A&E waiting times

Waiting times have slumped to worst level since records of weekly figures began. Picture: Greg Macvean

DOZENS of patients have been left languishing in Lothian emergency departments for more than 12 hours as waiting times figures slumped to the worst level since weekly recording began.

NHS data revealed that 38 patients waited for three times the Scottish Government’s four-hour limit in the week to January 31, compared to the average figure of just one or two.

The figures reveal pressure was most acute at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI), where 35 patients waited more than half a day.

The Capital’s flagship hospital reported the worst figures in Scotland as just 79.6 per cent of patients were seen within four hours, against the Scottish Government’s 95 per cent target.

Health chiefs apologised to patients and insisted the spike in long waits was caused by rising numbers of seriously ill patients needing treatment.

But politicians questioned whether increasing pressure on GP surgeries and social care was pushing people who did not need emergency treatment to visit A&E.

Lothian Labour MSP Sarah Boyack branded the figures “unacceptable” and questioned why the health board had fallen behind the rest of the country.

Ms Boyack said: “These figures are unacceptable. It’s particularly worrying to find Edinburgh Royal Infirmary has the worst performance rate in the whole of Scotland in all categories.

“We urgently need to know why