Scotland A&E data for August 2026, published 6 October 2026 · Scotland diagnostics data for June 2026, published 25 August 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
A&E – NHS Lothian NOT LIVE
3 in 5 (62.3%)
of A&E attendances in NHS Lothian lasted 4 hours or less. At Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (about 3 miles away) it was more than 9 in 10 (93.6%).
Official weekly figure, week ending 18 October 2026 · Public Health Scotland
Scotland does not publish live A&E waits. Not sure you need A&E? Call NHS 24 on 111.
Nearby A&E and how Edinburgh compares →Edinburgh is in City of Edinburgh, Scotland, where hospital services are run by NHS Lothian. This page shows the latest published Scotland figures for A&E and diagnostic tests for that health board.
These are Scotland figures, not NHS England data. Health services in Scotland are run separately and publish their own statistics, which use different definitions. Figures here come from Public Health Scotland (open data at opendata.nhs.scot).
In August 2026, 64.0% of the 27,520 attendances at emergency departments run by NHS Lothian spent 4 hours or less in A&E, 2.7 percentage points below the Scotland figure of 66.7%. That ranks 11 of 14 health boards in Scotland.
NHS Lothian: % within 4 hours Scotland
Scottish diagnostic figures count people waiting more than 6 weeks (42 days) at the end of the month, from Public Health Scotland.
| Test | Waiting list | Waiting over 6 weeks | % over 6 weeks | Scotland % over 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI scan waiting times in Edinburgh | 3,982 | 954 | 24.0% | 22.6% |
| CT scan waiting times in Edinburgh | 2,697 | 341 | 12.6% | 9.3% |
| Ultrasound waiting times in Edinburgh | 3,944 | 333 | 8.4% | 26.9% |
| Endoscopy waiting times in Edinburgh | 4,106 | 2,188 | 53.3% | 47.5% |
MRI waits for the nearest towns on this site.
| Nearby town | Distance | Main trust or board | MRI waiting over 6 weeks | Waiting list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkcaldy | 11 miles | NHS Fife | 6.9% | 1,537 |
| Dunfermline | 13 miles | NHS Fife | 6.9% | 1,537 |
| Hamilton | 35 miles | NHS Lanarkshire | 26.3% | 1,592 |
| East Kilbride | 41 miles | NHS Lanarkshire | 26.3% | 1,592 |
| Glasgow | 42 miles | NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 24.8% | 8,029 |
NHS England statistics cover hospitals in England only. Scotland has its own targets and measures: for example, Scotland reports A&E and diagnostic waits by health board, and counts diagnostic waits over 6 weeks. Comparisons between nations should be made with care. For England, see the England A&E league table.
| Official statistics | Reporting period | Published | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health Scotland: Scotland A&E activity and waiting times (all A&E sites) | August 2026 | 6 October 2026 | Official source |
| Public Health Scotland: Scotland diagnostic waiting times (key tests) | June 2026 | 25 August 2026 | Official source |
This page was last updated on 2 November 2026. The reporting period is the time the figures describe; the published date is when the official publisher released them. These figures describe people who were already waiting or attending during the reporting period. They are not a forecast or a guarantee of how long someone referred now will wait: that depends on clinical urgency, the hospital and the service.
Official statistics are reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See data sources and methods, or report a figure that looks wrong.
In August 2026, 64.0% of A&E attendances at NHS Lothian spent 4 hours or less in A&E, compared with 66.7% across Scotland.
24.0% of the 3,982 people waiting for an MRI at NHS Lothian had waited more than 6 weeks (June 2026).
NHS Lothian. In Scotland health services are run by health boards, not NHS England trusts.
From Public Health Scotland (open data at opendata.nhs.scot), published under the Open Government Licence.