We cannot allow A&E progress to stall
Responding to new figures showing a drop in the number of Accident and Emergency patients being seen within four hours, Alison Johnstone, Health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for Lothian, said:
“The pressure on staff at our hospitals is immense and we must see targeted support to ease the strain. While these month-on-month figures show a small drop, it represents frustration and concern for patients and their families and we cannot allow progress to stall.
"Scottish Ministers need to pick up the pace on recruitment and retention, and support GPs to reduce demand for A&E. We must also provide more social care places to free up space in hospitals, and shift spending towards preventative measures to improve public health."
Today's figures show that in May this year 94.5 per cent of A&E patients were seen within 4 hours. This is a drop from 95.1 per cent in April. In May last year the figure was 93.5.
A&E Activity and Waiting Times May 2016 (ISD Scotland)