RCEM reports more than 800 deaths amid A&Es long waits as 'National Tragedy’

Hundreds of deaths reported in Scotland hospitals due to long waiting hours.

According to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) recent analysis, more than 800 deaths in Scotland are believed to be linked to prolonged waits in Accidents and Emergency departments, Independent News reported.

The RCEM estimates that 818 excess deaths occurred due to patients waiting 12 hours or longer, based on a standard mortality ratio, which is equal to about 16 deaths a week.

As per last year reports 76,510 people waited over 12 hours in Scottish emergency departments, an increase of 20,432 from the previous year.

The figures were released alongside the RCEM's manifesto ahead of the Holyrood election next year.

In addition to that, Vice President RCEM Scotland, Dr. Fiona Hunter described the figures as a ‘National Tragedy’ and urged political parties to adopt the RCEM’S manifesto recommendations for improving emergency care.

Dr. Hunter said: "Behind this statistics, are stories of heartbreaks. Because these are people.”

"Mums, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents - their deaths shattering the lives of families and friends".

"These are patients who are sick and need further care on a ward. So, they are forced to endure extreme wait times for an inpatient bed to become available for them," Dr Hunter added.

"Often they will be experiencing this, counting the hours they have been in ED (the emergency department), on a trolley in a corridor, cupboard, or simply any available floor space”.

While showing disappointment, Dr Hunter expressed, "It doesn't have to be this way - the crisis is fixable and it comes down to patient flow in hospitals - getting people out of ED and into a ward bed and getting them out of hospital when they are well enough to go home."

"We urge all political parties to adopt the recommendations in our manifesto to give Scotland an emergency care system that we can be proud of once again," she further added.

"Because without government action, the cost will continue to be measured in lives,“ said Dr Hunter.

Moreover, the Health secretary Neil Gray said "the Scottish government was committed to delivering improved performance and shifting the focus of care from acute to community where better for patients".

He said there had been progress with the latest monthly A&E figures, adding: "Our additional investment of £200m is further reducing waiting times and will see us have specialist frailty teams in every core A&E."

Scottish Conservatives health spokesman Dr. Sandesh Gulhane said government ministers should "hang their heads in shame" over the "completely avoidable deaths".

"Frontline staff are working flat out for their patients, but they've been failed by successive SNP health secretaries who still haven't come up with a credible plan to address this national emergency," he added.

Furthermore, Jackie Baillie, deputy leader of Scottish Labour, said: "For years Scots have been dying as a result of dangerously long waits in A&E, but the SNP has stood idly by while this crisis ran riot.”

“The SNP has no idea how to fix this crisis and our NHS cannot afford a third decade of this incompetence," said Baillie.

While the opposition parties criticized the Scottish Government’s handling of the crises in an irresponsive manner, the Health Secretary also acknowledged the issue but highlighted recent improvements and increased investments to cater the issue.