A medical association has warned the health system is under enormous strain, as Covid impacts emergency care.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine claims staff haven’t had a festive break due to the usual winter surge as well as Covid.
The warning comes in the same week that NHS Lanarkshire appealed to families who have relatives in hospital to bring them home if they are no longer receiving treatment.
The health board issued the appeal because its hospitals are “exceptionally busy” dealing with patients infected with Covid-19.
Dr John Thomson, vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said: “The reality on the ground is that many Boards are under enormous strain, as there has been a significant increase in staff absences due to the surge in Covid. Staff are isolating with a positive test or due to a contact with someone with a positive test.
“Emergency Departments were overstretched prior to the new variant. But current winter pressures met with widespread staff absences mean staff are put under more and more strain on each shift which affects the quality of care provided and both the patient and staff experience alike.
“For many staff, there hasn’t been a Festive break, and they have had no rest or respite but continue to work tirelessly in Emergency Departments.
“The pressures are mounting on the health service once again. It is imperative that we are able to continue delivering vital care to patients. But the surge of Covid across Scotland is affecting all parts of the system, not just Emergency Care.
“It is a deeply concerning situation to be in, and what concerns us most is the functionality of the health system and our ability to continue delivering urgent and emergency care to those who need it.”
Across Scotland, more than one in four patients were delayed by four hours or more; 5,697 patients were delayed by eight hours or more - equal to 5.5 per cent of all attendances.
A total of 1729 patients were delayed by 12 hours or more.
In Lanarkshire, just 72. 5 per cent were seen within the four hour target across the month of November.
According to the statistics, almost 10 per cent of the 5696 A&E attendees at University Hospital Wishaw waited more than eight hours to be seen.
That number reduced to just 2.97 per cent at Hairmyres and 2.91 per cent at Monklands.
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