Cost of unncessary A&E visits revealed
Each admission to casualty costs £118
Patients arriving at A&E departments who do not need to be there are costing the NHS at least £33 million a year, according to the Scottish Conservatives.
Figures published by Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland, the Tories say, show each casualty admission in 2015/16 cost the health service £118.
The party reckons around one in six attendances is unnecessary and says that at last year's £118-per-visit cost, a total of #32,792,495 was spent dealing with needless admissions.
The Scottish Government has tried to reduce A&E admissions including diverting people to minor injury services and encouraging the use of NHS 24.
ISD Scotland says the average cost of each appointment has risen from £106 three years ago to £118 in 2015/16. When all A&E admissions are totalled, the Tories say the cost to the NHS was £197,327,000 last year.
Donald Cameron, Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary, said: "No-one blames people for going to A&E when they're concerned for their own or a family member's health.
"But it's clear more needs to be done to promote other, more suitable options for those with less serious medical needs.
"The cost to the NHS of these admissions is huge, and that's cash which could be invested very effectively elsewhere in the health service.
"With budgets so tight, we can't afford to be spending this kind of money needlessly, and it's up to the Scottish Government to do more to get that message across.''
The Scottish Government said it had invested £12 million this year to improve patients' experience by ensuring they are seen by the right person at the right time and supporting patients to remain in their own home.
A spokeswoman disputed the calculations of the Scottish Conservatives.
She said: "These figures are not accurate because the cost of treating a patient who does not need A&E level care is much less than treating a patient who is seriously injured and needs emergency care.
"We encourage people to make themselves aware of what services are available to them and where to go if their condition is not life-threatening. NHS 24, the local pharmacy, the GP surgery or minor injuries unit may be the better place to go rather than a busy A&E unit, keeping emergency life-saving services free for those who really need them.
"A&E departments have guidance to help them direct patients to the most appropriate service as quickly as possible. This helps A&E departments to focus on the patients with emergency care needs, and reduce the time for patients to receive treatment."