A&E performance at Paisley’s struggling Royal Alexandra Hospital has slumped again to the third worst in Scotland.
The Scottish Government has been criticised for failing to support staff at the Corsebar Road site after a “dismal” run of emergency treatment performance figures in recent months.
NHS data for the week ending January 23 showed 939 patients passed through the RAH’s A&E department, with just 67 per cent seen within the Scottish Government’s four hour target.
The figures show 310 patients waited more than four hours, with 131 waiting eight or more and some 35 patients waiting 12 hours or more.
Figures for the previous week logged a 69.7 per cent performance against the target.
Scottish Government targets call for 95 per cent of patients attending Scotland’s A&E departments to be treated, admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.
But the standard has hardly been met across the country for months as NHS staff struggle against the effects of overwork and a slowdown in services throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.
The two hospitals who logged figures in the top three worst A&E performers in Scotland last week are in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde stable.
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Govan’s troubled Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, also consistently amongst the worst performers against the target saw 60.9 per cent of their 1,446 patients in A&E in four hours.
The number of patients they received was far higher than the RAH’s 939.
Consistently high performer Glasgow Royal Infirmary treated 1,388 patients through A&E in the same week and logged an 82.5 per cent figure against the four hour target.
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary was the second worst performer against the targets
However, the hospital - run by NHS Lothian - received 2,024 patients, 64.6 per cent of which were dealt with in line with the four-hour standard.
The rise of Omicron variant which prompted another peak in Coronavirus cases was blamed for falling performance at hard-hit NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde hospitals but A&E waits at the RAH have continued to be consistently poor and have failed to rally despite the peak having passed some weeks ago.
Union leaders have repeatedly hit out over the “dire” staffing situation at the RAH and told of burnt out staff and a “chronic” shortage of personnel.
Labour’s Shadow Health Minister, Paul O’Kane, hit out over the situation at the Paisley facility, saying: “Another seriously worrying set of A&E statistics has confirmed how badly RAH and the QEUH staff and patients are being let down by the SNP Scottish Government.
“Week after week these stats reflect that there is a systemic problem with A&E services, we can all see it and so must the Scottish Government, yet there is no sign of action on their part – the Health Secretary is asleep at the wheel and lives are at risk.”
The West of Scotland MSP added: “These departments need resources and support, patients need the guarantee that when they enter those hospitals they’ll be treated within an acceptable time. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has called for 1000 more beds in the system across Scotland and a long term workforce plan.
“A major rethink of how to get A&E departments functioning properly across the country is required but unfortunately this Scottish Government doesn’t seem to have any ideas of how to act quickly in the face of this crisis.”
His comments were echoed by Paisley-based Labour MSP Neil Bibby.
Neil secured a commitment from Health Minister Humza Yousaf that he would visit the RAH to listen to the concerns of staff leaders as far back as November after pressing him over the issue in a Holyrood parliamentary session.
But the SNP’s health supremo has yet to confirm a date for the visit, it is thought, after he cited concerns over the Omicron variant, saying in a written reply: “”Ministerial visits are being carefully considered at present in light of the implications for health and social care services from the Omicron variant. I continue to maintain strong communication with trade union representatives and health boards to understand the experiences of our frontline health and social care staff.”
West of Scotland list MSP Neil voiced further concerns over the latest figures, telling the Express: “These figures are a stark reminder of the winter crisis gripping the NHS.
“Frontline workers at the RAH go above and beyond and they need the full support of the Scottish Government at this critical time. There is a pressing need for extra capacity in the health service and government action on system-wide pressure throughout health and social care.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, who have been accused by Unison leaders at the RAH of failing to listen to staff, once again thanked personnel for their efforts but responded once again with their solution for residents to stay away from emergency departments except in life or death situations.
A spokesman for the board said: “Our A&E teams are working incredibly hard to see, treat, diagnose, and admit or discharge patients as quickly as possible. In recent weeks pressure on services has continued due to COVID infections and staffing pressures alongside normal increased demand over winter.
“Within NHSGGC all our sites are operating well above normal capacity which is having a significant impact on service provision.”
The spokesperson added: “We want to apologise to anyone who has had a lengthy wait for emergency care. Our clinical teams continue to work closely with our colleagues in the Scottish Ambulance Service to care for our patients and support the delivery of safe and effective care.
“We continue to ask everyone that, unless their condition is life-threatening, they should not attend an Emergency Department (A&E).
“Please remember that our partner GP surgeries across the Board area are open, and continue to provide great care for their communities. Pharmacies also have expert knowledge and can advise on minor ailments, or give simple healthcare advice.
"If you are in any doubt about who you should contact, or require out of hours care, please call NHS24 on 111 in the first instance as they will be able to direct you to the best place to receive treatment, which could include one of our Minor Injuries Units.”
Union reps Margaret Duffy and Barbara Steel previously issued a plea for GPs to help NHS workers at hospital sites by seeing more patients as they told how they feared a backlog of desperate residents unable to access medical care elsewhere have resorted to attending A&E seeking reassurance.
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