Humza Yousaf expects to see 'immediate' A&E improvement
Figures for the week ending 11 September showed just 63.5% of patients attending A&E were seen and subsequently admitted or discharged within four hours. The Scottish government target is 95%.
"That might not seem like a lot. But times that by the 22,000-odd people that attend A&E in any given week and that adds up very quickly."The health secretary said he hoped to set out an NHS action plan to parliament within the next fortnight. He pointed to his government's efforts to recruit further staff, with 200 nurses brought in from overseas last year.
"Equally of course I have to be really upfront that any additionality to 5% is going to have to be found within my health budget and that means having to take money away from other crucial services and that can be really difficult." He pointed to the health secretary's warning that people are staying in hospital an extra day longer on average because they were "sicker".
"So what we end up with are large number of patients spending excessive times in emergency departments which we know is very harmful to patients in terms of an increased risk of death at 30 days.