Health · Healthcare & Policy · 5 hrs ago
Glasgow hospital doctors warn delays could harm emergency patients
Senior emergency doctors at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital warned that delays could harm patients in its emergency department.
The hospital is in Glasgow and is Scotland’s biggest.
In a letter sent in July, the doctors said overcrowding had worsened since a 2024 review and called the risk “uncontrollable system failure.”
They said staff were moving patients out of resuscitation areas and into corridors because the department was over capacity.
A previous review, published in 2025, found that poor relationships between managers and doctors may have harmed patient care.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland will meet frontline staff in November and review progress on earlier recommendations, while the health board is expected to address the problems.
Senior emergency doctors at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital have warned that delays and overcrowding could harm patients.
In a letter sent to Healthcare Improvement Scotland in July, they described the risk of “uncontrollable system failure”.
The doctors said staff were moving patients from resuscitation areas into corridors because of sustained overcapacity.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland said it was taking staff concerns seriously and would meet frontline staff in November.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats called on ministers to intervene.
- Who
- Senior emergency doctors at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital raised the concerns. Healthcare Improvement Scotland received their letter.
- What
- The doctors warned that delays and overcrowding could harm patients and lead to system failure.
- When
- The letter was sent in July. The article was published on 9 November 2026.
- Where
- Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland.
- Why
- The doctors said the emergency department faced sustained overcapacity and lacked an effective strategy to address its problems.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland undertook its previous review of the emergency department.
The previous review was published and found that poor relationships between managers and consultants were likely to have harmed patient care.
Senior emergency doctors sent a letter to Healthcare Improvement Scotland warning of harm from delays and overcrowding.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland said it would meet frontline staff and review progress against recommendations.
- Hospital
- Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow
- Letter recipient
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland
- Previous review
- Undertaken in 2024 and published in 2025
- Overcapacity
- Patients were moved from resuscitation areas into corridors
- Planned follow-up
- Meetings with frontline staff and a review of recommendations during November
What people are saying
uncontrollable system failure
This letter is chilling. The Scottish government needs to wake up to the crisis at the QEUH and intervene.
take the concerns raised by staff in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Emergency Department seriously.