August 2025 the worst August on record at A&E

Responding to new figures showing only 68.9% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in August 2025, which is the worst performance against the target for any August on record, while 14,904 people waited over 8 hours and 5,953 waited over 12 hours, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"Record long waits in the summer must act as an urgent warning to the Scottish Government over the potential crisis looming in the winter.

"Staff and patients are already trapped in pressure cooker conditions, even without the additional pressures that the winter brings. They need to see action now from the SNP Government to relieve pressure.

"We are seeing these long waits at A&E because too many people are unable to leave our hospitals as they can't get the care package they need to leave safely.

"Fixing the problems in social care would help to increase capacity in hospitals and help to tackle these A&E waits. That's why Scottish Liberal Democrats fought for more money for social care in the budget and back a new UK-wide minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher.”