Current Status

In the year ending December 2011, the number of unplanned A&E attendances per 100,000 population was 2,207. This compares to 2,218 for the year ending March 2010.

HEAT Target

To support shifting the balance of care, NHS Boards will achieve agreed reductions in the rates of attendance at A&E between 2009/10 and 2013/14.

T: Accident and Emergency (A&E) attendances

Why is this HEAT target important?

A&E attendances should decrease with better provision and use of primary care and community based services, better preventative and continuous care in the home, and improved self care. The measure is intended to indicate an outcome of a range of improvements relating to joined up working and shifting the balance of care.

How are we performing?

Target to be delivered in 2013/14

The performance measure used for this target is the number of unplanned A&E attendances per 100,000 population.

During the year ending March 2010, the number of unplanned A&E attendances per 100,000 population was 2,218. This decreased by 0.5 per cent to 2,207 A&E attendances per 100,000 population during the year ending December 2011.

The table below shows NHS Board level performance for the year ending December 2011 and the associated target for the year ending March 2014.

Number of unplanned A&E attendances per 100,000 population, by NHS Board

NHS Board Baseline (2009/10) Year ending Dec 2011 Target 2013/14
NHS AYRSHIRE & ARRAN 2,471 2,588 2,401
NHS BORDERS 1,642 1,744 1,582
NHS DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY 2,703 2,538 2,575
NHS FIFE 1,856 1,902 1,763
NHS FORTH VALLEY 1,529 1,646 1,500
NHS GRAMPIAN 1,550 1,595 1,515
NHS GREATER GLASGOW & CLYDE 3,034 2,842 2,888
NHS HIGHLAND 1,369 1,474 1,285
NHS LANARKSHIRE 2,855 2,801 2,619
NHS LOTHIAN 1,974 2,032 1,911
NHS SHETLAND 3,216 3,096 3,055
NHS TAYSIDE 1,522 1,546 1,422
NHS WESTERN ISLES 2,186 2,157 2,016
NHSSCOTLAND 2,222 2,207 2,117

Note: NHS Orkney are not included in this target

Further Information

Shifting the balance of care

Emergency Access Delivery Programme

Accident & Emergency Waiting Times statistics

Related National Outcomes

Page updated: Thursday, April 19, 2012