A&E waits show you cannot fix the NHS without fixing social care

Responding to new figures showing only 62.7% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 4th January 2026, while 3,385 people waited over 8 hours and 1,650 waited over 12 hours, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"Every single week far too many people are left stuck waiting in A&E for hours on end. When the SNP came to power, waiting half a day in A&E was a rare occurrence. It now happens thousands of times a week.

"The Scottish Government needs to start taking serious action to reduce pressures and that should start with addressing the crisis in social care.

"A&E departments are backed up, because there are so many people like Margaret MacGill, who are stuck in hospital and unable to leave because the care package they need is not available. I raised her case with the First Minister last week, as Margaret should have been home within 14 weeks, but she’s been in hospital for 14 months.

"It all goes to show that you cannot fix the NHS and bring down A&E waits without fixing social care.

"Scotland's A&E patients deserve better - and with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, you can vote for change with fairness at its heart."