Emergency doctors' chilling winter warning as 96% claim A&E departments are not prepared

Scotland's A&Es are facing a ‘perfect storm’ this winter as it emerged 96 per cent of senior medics polled said the departments are poorly prepared.Almost every emergency department (ED) is faced with high or very high pressure and is poorly prepared for the anticipated surge in patients, according to a survey by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in Scotland (RCEM).The survey of clinical leads found three quarters of those who responded said pressure was much higher this year compared to 2025.And nine in ten said they were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ concerned about the pressure on their departments this winter while 96 per cent claimed they were poorly prepared for winter.RCEM has demanded the Scottish Government bring down 12-hour waits for ED patients by half to reduce overcrowding and ease the burden on EDs they ‘can barely manage‘.Dr Fiona Hunter, RCEM Scotland vice president, warned: ‘Emergency departments in Scotland have spent this entire year in a state of crisis. Thousands of people each month come to us, only to face waits for more than half a day before they are treated and sent home, transferred elsewhere - or given a hospital bed. Dcotors have spoken out about Scottish A&E departments not being prepared for winter‘We know that there is a link between ED overcrowding and an increased chance of death, particularly among the most sick and injured of our patients.‘That has been the state of play throughout 2026 - and now winter is on the horizon. Things are only going to get tougher. Winter brings seasonal illnesses and an associated rise in demand for our services.‘The government must do more to give us the breathing room we need, so that when winter hits we can stretch to meet the demand.’The survey asked 163 clinical leads across the UK about how they are managing and their views ahead of winter.Across the UK 91 per cent of A&E clinical leads polled said they were very or extremely concerned about winter pressures on EDs and two-thirds said their ED was unsafe. Just 3 per cent thought their ED was well prepared for the cold months.Of the 25 respondents in Scotland, representing almost every ED in the devolved nation, all but two told RCEM they were either ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ concerned about the pressure their ED will experience this winter.Dr Ian Higginson, RCEM President, said: ‘Overcrowding, corridor care and the impending surge of demand from winter are creating a perfect storm for EDs across the UK.‘Colleagues from across the four nations have been crystal clear: we simply are not ready for winter, and can barely manage as we are.‘We have patients lining our departments, many stuck in trolleys for hours upon hours. The sickest and most injured among them can’t get into a hospital bed and end up stuck with us, sometimes for days.‘It’s a disgraceful state of affairs and I cannot believe it has been allowed to get this bad.’Scottish Conservative health and care spokesman Miles Briggs MSP said: ‘Corridor care is becoming the norm, A&E waits over four hours are at their worst since December 2022, and now hospital chiefs are warning they’re not ready for winter. Scotland’s NHS is going backwards under the SNP.‘John Swinney must stop firefighting and start fixing the problems leaving patients languishing in hospital corridors.‘That means boosting capacity, speeding up discharges and ensuring patients can get the care they need without spending hours on a trolley.’Scottish Labour health spokesman Dame Jackie Baillie said: ‘The SNP Government cannot keep asking NHS staff to stretch further when we know that emergency departments are already under extreme pressure and we are heading for a bad winter.‘The results of the survey are clear - Ministers must act now to make sure our A&E NHS staff are properly resourced, and have the capacity and support they need before winter hits.’The warning came after the Mail reported earlier this month the majority of Scottish EDs were already struggling with a ‘worrying’ early rise in flu cases.The number of patients waiting more than four hours in A&E departments reached 50,747, its highest recorded level, in August. The Scottish Government has been contacted.A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'We have recognised the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s concerns and are working hard to prepare the NHS ahead of winter.'Health Secretary Angela Constance recently met the College and is keen to work with it to ease pressures on A&Es. Ministers have been clear that a collective effort will be critical in the months ahead as we look to support our NHS through the winter.'The Health Secretary has set out in Parliament a further range of winter planning measures – such as expanding Hospital at Home and renewed calls for eligible patients to get vaccinated against seasonal viruses – that we have been working on with NHS boards and local authorities.'