The Scottish Government has been accused of having responsibility for a “disgracefully high” number of deaths following growing waits for treatment in hospital accident and emergency departments.

Both Labour and the Conservatives hit out at the SNP administration, claiming that thousands of patients had died after spending hours in A&E, with Labour suggesting “negligence” from the SNP meant ministers were “gambling with Scots’ lives”.

Citing research from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, which says that there will be one additional death for every 72 patients who wait between eight and 12 hours in A&E, the Tories claimed there could have been a “shocking” 2,181 excess deaths this year.

The Conservatives said they based their calculations on the 226,328 patients who waited more than eight hours in the emergency room for treatment in 2024.

Meanwhile, Labour claimed that 147,223 Scots had waited more than eight hours to be seen in A&E and then be admitted, transferred or discharged over the period January to October this year – with the party calculating this would equate to as many as 2,045 excess deaths.

It comes after official statistics from Public Health Scotland showed just under three out of five patients (59.7%) in A&E were seen and subsequently admitted, transferred or discharged within the target time of four hours in the week ending December 8.

Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the SNP had created a “permanent crisis” in accident and emergency departments.

The Tory MSP, who is also a GP, called it a “damning indictment of the SNP’s mismanagement of Scotland’s NHS over the last 17 years”.

Dr Gulhane added: “It is shocking that these excessive delays at A&E are estimated to have resulted in over 2,100 deaths since last Christmas and my thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one.

“The SNP are presiding over a permanent crisis in A&E departments and successive SNP health secretaries have failed to get a grip of increasingly appalling waiting times.”

Demanding action from Health Secretary Neil Gray, Dr Gulhane said: “This disgracefully high number of excess deaths must show Neil Gray that he must change his current approach.

“He needs to urgently ensure that money invested in the health service is getting to the front line rather than being wasted on bureaucracy and middle managers.”

Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “For all the stories of exhausting and anxious waits in Scotland’s emergency departments, there are those who never lived to tell the tale.”

She added: “The SNP’s negligence is doing more than causing frustration — they are gambling with Scots’ lives.

“The UK Labour Government has delivered a record Budget settlement for Scotland but it’s up to the SNP to ensure it goes on frontline services so that every patient has an equal chance of getting the treatment they need.”

Mr Gray said: “My sympathies go to anyone bereaved after loved ones endured long A&E waits.

“We’ve always recognised the relationship between long A&E waits and increased risk of harm, which is why we remain committed to delivering improved performance.”

The Health Secretary added: “Scotland’s core A&E departments have been the best performing in the UK for the last eight years, however, health services everywhere face huge pressure following the pandemic – and ours is no exception.

“The number of deaths from all causes in all locations, however, is lower than we would expect to see based on historic trends, according to National Records of Scotland.”

He also said: “Our draft 2025/26 Scottish Budget provides record funding of £21 billion for health and social care, if approved by the Scottish Parliament, with NHS boards receiving an additional £2 billion to deliver key frontline services like A&E.

“We will ensure that all A&E departments have a frailty service linked to home care services for older people and will expand the Hospital at Home programme by 600 beds, relieving pressures on urgent care.”