SNP Government 'gambling with Scots' lives' as A&E waiting times blamed for 2,000 excess deaths

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The SNP Government has been blamed for the "disgracefully high" number of deaths in the wake of growing A&E ward waiting times.Scottish Labour claimed thousands of patients had died after spending hours waiting to be seen in hospitals - warning that ministers were "gambling with Scots’ lives".Research from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine found there was one additional death for every 72 patients who wait between eight and 12 hours in A&E.Labour said that 147,223 Scots had waited more than eight hours to be seen in A&E and then be admitted, transferred or discharged over the period January to October this year – with the party calculating this would equate to as many as 2,045 excess deaths.It comes after official statistics from Public Health Scotland showed just under 60 per cent in A&E were seen and subsequently admitted, transferred or discharged within the target time of four hours in the week ending December 8.Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: "For all the stories of exhausting and anxious waits in Scotland’s emergency departments, there are those who never lived to tell the tale.”She added: "The SNP’s negligence is doing more than causing frustration — they are gambling with Scots’ lives.“The UK Labour Government has delivered a record Budget settlement for Scotland but it’s up to the SNP to ensure it goes on frontline services so that every patient has an equal chance of getting the treatment they need.”Neil Gray, the Health Secretary, said: “My sympathies go to anyone bereaved after loved ones endured long A&E waits.“We’ve always recognised the relationship between long A&E waits and increased risk of harm, which is why we remain committed to delivering improved performance.”The SNP