Exclusive:Hundreds aged 95 and over faced 'catastrophic' 12-hour A&E waits
There are warnings some of the country's most vulnerable people are being put at risk
More than 700 patients aged 95 and above waited longer than 12 hours at A&E last year, new figures show.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats said "catastrophic" waits in emergency rooms were "putting some of the country's most vulnerable people at serious risk".
A freedom of information request by the party found 736 people over the age of 95 waited more than 12 hours at A&E between January and October 2025.
Meanwhile, a total of 8,614 aged between 85 and 94 waited more than 12 hours, alongside 14,281 aged between 75 and 84, and11,542 aged between 65 and 74.
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Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Twelve hour waits did not exist when the SNP came to power, but they are now the norm for thousands of older patients, putting some of the country's most vulnerable people at serious risk.
“Rapid diagnosis is essential for preventing additional complications, but waiting for so long makes that virtually impossible.
“The only way to bring down catastrophic A&E waits is to fix the broken social care system.
“Hospitals are full of people who can’t leave, despite being medically ready, because there are not enough care packages and care workers to get them home. This, in turn, means fewer beds and longer waits for new patients arriving at A&Es.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats have got a realistic plan to raise the wages of care workers and attract more people into the profession, helping free up essential space in A&Es.”
Mr Cole-Hamilton said his party will set out plans in its manifesto to bring down waits by investing in social care. This will include changing to “a seven-day discharge model so people aren’t kept in hospital just because it is a weekend”.
The Lib Dems said they would also create dedicated “key worker housing” for carers and other eligible workers, so the housing crisis does not prevent them from taking up posts.
SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “The SNP is focused on improving Scotland’s NHS and has invested a record £22.5 billion in frontline services this year with our A&E the best performing on these islands.
“We are working tirelessly to improve delayed discharge and are clear no one in Scotland should have to wait for crucial care and support. That’s why the SNP’s budget is investing over £2.3billion in social care this year.
“The reality is our current social care system is under pressure as a result of increased demand, a hard Tory Brexit, a decade of austerity and crippling immigration policies introduced by Keir Starmer’s Labour government.
“Our social care system needs to work better for everyone and under John Swinney’s strong leadership we’ve seen what can be achieved within our NHS - long waits are down, GP numbers are up and thousands more operations are being performed.”
It came as the British Medical Association (BMA) warned Scotland’s NHS needs “serious long-term and radical reform”.
Dr Iain Kennedy, chairman of the BMA in Scotland, said 2026 could be a “watershed” year for the NHS, but only with the “political will and brave decisions from everyone involved”.
Polls consistently shows health is one of the top priorities for voters ahead of the Holyrood election next month.
Dr Kennedy said: “BMA Scotland has consistently warned that without action, the founding principle of the NHS, that it should be free at the point of use, is at risk.
“We are clear that the NHS must not just be seen as a way to win the votes of the public in the short-term.
“Too often, solutions offered to the problems the health service faces do no more than tinker at the edges or seek to grab attention rather than deliver real results.
“What is needed is for politicians to put political difference aside and urgently agree and deliver serious long-term and radical reform that finally makes our NHS sustainable, and indeed world leading, for generations to come.”
While he said that approach “might not grab headlines”, it will “deliver real and lasting change”.
In its manifesto for the election, the BMA is urging politicians to come up with a clear, detailed plan on how to shift the balance of care closer to patients’ homes, while at the same time providing better support to Scotland’s GPs.
It also says there needs to be a “refreshed and renewed focus” on how performance is measured in the health service “which ultimately puts patient outcomes at its heart”.
A long-term workforce plan that takes into account levels of demand is also key amongst doctors’ asks.
Politicians are being urged to make health impact assessments mandatory when new legislation is brought in, while also ending the “deep-rooted scandal” of health inequalities as a priority.
The BMA said “Scotland’s NHS must be a better place to work”, adding this can be partly achieved through “simple steps” such as ensuring doctors have high quality facilities in which to take rest breaks.
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