\n That is an increase of 18 minutes over the five-year period.\n<\/p>\n
\n A significant increase was observed in 2022\/23, when the waiting time rose to 66 minutes; as well as 2023\/24, when the time rose to 71 minutes.\n<\/p>\n
\n People are waiting 18 minutes more than in 2021\/22. (Image: PA)\n<\/p>\n
\n A third consecutive increase was recorded in 2024\/25, when the median waiting time rose to 75 minutes, before a slight dip to 72 minutes this year.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cEvery week patients in Edinburgh<\/a> and across Scotland are facing dangerously long waits for urgent care in A&E,\u201d Scottish Labour<\/a> MSP for Edinburgh<\/a> and Lothians East Irshad Ahmed<\/a> said in response to The Herald\u2019s findings.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cOver the last five years average A&E waits in Edinburgh have soared, countless patients have been put at risk and hardworking staff have been put under huge amounts of pressure.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cIn the election John Swinney<\/a> and the SNP<\/a> promised to tackle the A&E crisis and now they need to deliver,\u201d he added.\n<\/p>\n \n The increase has taken place despite an increase in staffing and spending in the health board’s three emergency departments over the last half-decade.\n<\/p>\n \n In 2021\/22, NHS Lothian employed the equivalent of 284.45 full time emergency department staff, paid a total of \u00a319,110,913.\n<\/p>\n \n By 2025\/26, these figures had risen to 319.73 and \u00a327,220,047, respectively.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n The health board operates emergency departments at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, St John’s Hospital in Livingston<\/a>, and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.\n<\/p>\n \n LibDem MSP for Edinburgh Northern Sanne Dijkstra-Downie<\/a> said the figures were illustrative of Scotland\u2019s struggling social care system.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cThe increase in waiting times illustrates just how badly served our NHS is under the SNP,\u201d she remarked. \u201cThings have gone from bad to worse on their watch.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n “It’s also important to remember that Edinburgh is a growing city, but we are only served by one A&E in the south of the city.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Ms Dijkstra-Downie added: \u201cThe only way to cut these waits is to fix the broken social care system. The gaps in community care are a bottleneck that\u2019s causing 2,000 people a night to be marooned in hospital when they don\u2019t need or want to be there.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cYou simply cannot fix the NHS without fixing social care.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Tory MSP Miles Briggs. (Image: PA)\n<\/p>\n