Overview

• RCEM reports 76,510 people waited more than 12 hours in Scottish emergency departments last year, up by 20,432 from the previous year.
• Of those prolonged waits, 58,906 involved patients awaiting admission to a ward, highlighting hospital flow bottlenecks.
• Using its standard mortality ratio of one death per 72 patients waiting eight to 12 hours, RCEM estimates 818 excess deaths linked to long delays.
• The college’s Scotland manifesto urges investment in social care, renewed focus on 12‑hour and four‑hour targets, and sufficient staffing to end overcrowding.
• Health Secretary Neil Gray acknowledged harm from long waits and cited progress in July 2025 along with a £200m package, expanded frailty teams and a 21% rise in emergency consultants, as opposition parties condemned the SNP’s record.