Ambulances have taken 157 years to turn around since pandemic 

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today said that the SNP cannot be trusted with the NHS as he revealed that since 2022 ambulances have had to wait 1.3 million hours- the equivalent of 157 years- to unload and depart from hospitals.

A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information request asked the Scottish Ambulance Service for the length of time ambulances had to wait between arriving and departing from hospitals.

The request found that:

• 2025 saw the highest turnaround time for ambulances since the pandemic, with ambulances taking a total time of 367,612 hours to turn around.
• Between 2022 and 2025, the total turnaround time for ambulances across all health boards was 1,380,461 hours- the equivalent of 157 years.
• Since 2022, the total turnaround time for ambulances has increased by around 14%.
• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde saw a total turnaround time for ambulances of 80,873 hours in 2025.
• This figure was 60,016 hours in NHS Lothian and 53,675 hours in NHS Grampian.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have set out plans to invest £400 million into care over the next three years to fix the NHS. 

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“These figures reflect the staggering delays you could face if you ring for an ambulance at a time of crisis.

“Despite the best efforts of staff, ambulances are waiting longer and longer outside of hospitals because there’s barely any space to receive new patients inside.

“There are not enough beds in A&E because there are no longer the beds in longer-term wards to move them to. Too many beds in longer-term wards are occupied by people who are medically ready to leave but can't because the shortages of care workers and care packages won't let them.

“It’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats are so focused on fixing the crisis in care- it’s how we get to the root of the problem. By investing £400 million into care over the next three years, we will reward care workers with a new career ladder, ensuring we have the staff to let patients leave hospital in time, in turn helping ambulances get to everyone in need much more swiftly.

“After nineteen years, the SNP cannot be trusted with our health service. If you want fairness with its heart, it’s time to vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on your second, peach-coloured, regional ballot paper.”