More than 100 patients in NHS Forth Valley faced long waits for urgent treatment

More than 100 patients in NHS Forth Valley had to wait almost a day for unscheduled treatment.In December, 101 people had to wait 23 hours, well over the four-hour target, a recent board meeting has heard.However, overall compliance with the four-hour emergency access standard in December 2023 was 50.7 per cent, Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) 99.7 per cent and Emergency Department (ED) 43.4 per cent.Some 2,755 patients waited longer than the four-hour target across both the ED and MIU, with 1,466 waits longer than eight hours and 782 waits longer than 12 hours.The main reason for patients waiting beyond four hours continues to be waiting for first assessments as a result of issues in relation to capacity and flow.A total of 637 patients waited more than four hours for a bed.In December, there were 492 new attendances to Rapid Assessment and Care Unit (RACU), 147 of which were via the ED.Meanwhile, at the end of December 2023, the number of patients on the waiting list for a first outpatient appointment was 15,877, with the number waiting beyond 12 weeks sitting at 7,049.Board member Martin Fairbairn said: “In scheduled care we have positive figures and I guess that does link to the fact that during Covid we did make a deliberate decision to maintain a performance around scheduled care.

Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area. “In other areas of Scotland you are looking at 50 per cent.“We have problems in other areas but this is a really positive performance and we must bear that in mind when it comes to budget figures.”Other figures showed the number of inpatients/daycases waiting increased to 5,188 with an increase in those waiting beyond 12 weeks.At the end of December 2023, 5,474 patients were waiting