Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 25 March 2026 [Draft]
25 Mar 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Portfolio Question Time
Accident and Emergency Departments (Waiting Times)
Excessively long waits are not acceptable, and we apologise to all patients who have had to wait too long to receive treatment. We have always recognised the relationship between long waits and increased risk of harm, which is why we remain committed to deliver improved A and E performance—so that everyone in urgent need of care can receive timely treatment. As Maggie Chapman will be aware, the pressures facing our A and E services are not unique to Scotland.
Our boards are responsible for investigating any incidents of harm. If an incident occurs, we expect boards to fulfil their statutory duty to be open with patients about what happened and to learn the necessary lessons to prevent it from happening again.
In the same item of business
7. Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any excess deaths associated with long waiting times in A and E departments, including the acti...
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care (Neil Gray)
SNP
Excessively long waits are not acceptable, and we apologise to all patients who have had to wait too long to receive treatment. We have always recognised the...
Maggie Chapman
Green
Earlier this week, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine published its “State of Emergency Medicine in Scotland” report, and it is pretty grim reading. The...
Neil Gray
SNP
I thank Maggie Chapman for her question and for advocating on behalf of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, whose representatives I meet on a regular ba...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
We can have a couple of very brief supplementaries, with brief responses.
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimates that,“at the current rate of progress, it could take more than 200 years to reduce the number”of Scots wait...
Neil Gray
SNP
It is absolutely not this Government’s intention to take anywhere near that long to resolve some of the challenges that are being faced in that regard. The o...
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
I place on record my thanks to all the hard-working NHS staff, including those in A and E. The excess deaths that are associated with long waiting times in A...
Neil Gray
SNP
There are a number of points on which I am in agreement with Brian Whittle. The first is in relation to his tribute to our NHS and social care staff for the ...