Question reference: S6W-25709
- Date lodged: 23 February 2024
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Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 March 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to support NHS Ayrshire and Arran to meet the four-hour A&E waiting time target, in light of reported evidence that it has not met this target since July 2020.
Answer
Like other NHS Boards and across the UK, NHS Ayrshire and Arran continue to experience challenges in their A&E performance primarily due to capacity shortages. Officials meet regularly with NHS Ayrshire and Arran to ensure progress against their delivery plan which focuses on reducing hospital occupancy and increasing alternatives to admission or attendance. The board have a number of actions underway to support performance recovery including optimisation of their call before you convey and care home referral pathway where residents receive assessment and care within a community setting, avoiding the need for onwards attendance to the acute sites.
The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is working with NHS Boards including NHS Ayrshire and Arran to support delivery of the Urgent and Unscheduled Care collaborative, to ensure sustainable ways of delivering services, improving access for patients, and reducing unnecessary demand for services.