A & E Deaths - FOI Response Register

Q1 pertains to people where the actual pronouncement of death was done in the physical waiting room.

Q2 pertains to people who died in the physical waiting room, regardless of where the pronouncement occurred.

Q3 pertains to all people who were waiting, regardless of where they were doing this waiting.

As of 04/04/2024

1. Monthly, since January 2018, the number of people in your health board who were pronounced dead in an A&E waiting room

In accordance with FOISA s 17(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it does not hold the information requested.

2. Monthly, since January 2018, the number of people in your health board who were deemed to have died in an A&E waiting room

In accordance with FOISA s 17(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it does not hold the information requested.

3. Monthly, since January 2018, the number of people in your health board who died after attending an A&E department and before being 'seen' ('seen' defined by the same metric as Public Health Scotland's definition of 'seen' as per the weekly NHS perform A&E statistics)

See attached spreadsheet

With reference to the table in the attached spreadsheet, we define waiting in A&E as being from the point a person arrives in A&E to the point of inpatient admission, patient transfer, or patient discharge, as per the 4 hour waiting time standard.

4. Monthly, since January 2018, the number of people in your health board who died within 48 hours of attending an A&E department

See attached spreadsheet

Figures provided include people who died as per Q3

5. Monthly, since January 2018, the number of A&E attendances in your health board

See attached spreadsheet

Where we have given <5 figures, this is because NHS Shetland considers that providing more specific information carries a high risk of identifying individuals. As such and in accordance with FOISA s 16(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it holds the information requested but that it is exempt from disclosure under FOISA s 38(1)(d) as the information constitutes the health record of a deceased person.