The rate of people spending longer than the four hour target time in the Dumfries and Galloway’s accident and emergency departments has reached its worst level on record.
New figures show that nearly 1,000 patients waited more than four hours to be admitted, transferred or discharged in November last year.
The Scottish Government has set a target that 95 per cent of people should be dealt with in that time frame, with NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s 74.2 per cent success rate the for the health board since Public Health Scotland began compiling figures in 2007.
South Scotland Labour MSP, Colin Smyth, said: “It is very concerning that the monthly figures for November – even before winter had begun – show just 74.2 per cent of patients were seen with in four hours. The worst since records began.
“The four hour target is there for a reason yet more and more people are having to wait in A&E for longer than half a day and that’s just appalling.”
The data, from Public Health Scotland, shows that in November 2024, accident and emergency departments in Dumfries and Galloway were attended by 3,872 people.
Of them, 2,874 were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours – with 998 people taking longer. Of these, 320 took longer than eight hours and for 125 people it was more than 12 hours.
The 74.2 per cent success rate is the worst recorded for Dumfries and Galloway since PHS records began, with the previous worst being 75.1 in June last year.
Despite that, NHS Dumfries and Galloway has the third best performing accident and emergency department in mainland Scotland, with NHS Tayside and NHS Highland the only better performing health boards. The Scottish rate was 65.8 per cent.
In early December, officials warned that DGRI was regularly operating “beyond capacity” with an average day seeing 130 people turning up at A&E.
They urged people to think hard before attending, highlighting other options such as the NHS Inform website, calling 111 or contacting their local pharmacy or GP practice.
And people who did attend accident and emergency departments were given leaflets warning them they may have a lengthy wait or could have to share rooms with another patient.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said the “sustained pressure” the NHS is coming under “is not unique to Scotland” but he accepted: “We recognise that performance is not at the level that we wish to see.”
He pointed out that First Minister John Swinney has “been holding regular meetings over the festive period, including one yesterday evening, to continue to work intensely with health boards to drive improvements”.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway was asked to comment on the November figures.