Patient numbers turning up Crosshouse Hospital emergency department have shot up — with a record number of people waiting for 12 hours.
A total of 6165 people attended the emergency department in August 2019 - up by nearly five per cent from the year before.
The target of 95 per cent of people being dealt with within four hours in the department has not been achieved during any of the last 12 months.
A report presented to the NHS Ayrshire and Arran board on Monday said: “The numbers of 12-hour waits at emergency departments has increased significantly in recent months, reaching the highest recorded position over the past three years” in August.
Health bosses blame delayed discharges caused by lack of places available in the community as it blocks beds for A&E patients.
Forty-four North Ayrshire and 51 South Ayrshire health and social care patients were stuck in hospital beds for two weeks or more for non medical reasons in July. There were zero patients in East Ayrshire delayed in beds for that period.
Board member Linda Semple said: “We know the system is under incredible pressure.”
NHS Ayrshire and Arran chief executive John Burns said: “We known Ayrshire has a level of demand for its services.
“I don’t know if there is an easy fix for that.”
