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Council area · Scotland

South Ayrshire: health, flood risk and winter

A&E waits at the hospitals nearest its residents, ambulance response times, homes at flood risk, fuel poverty and extra deaths in winter, each against the rest of Scotland, from official records. Neighbourhood pages cover England and Wales; a full report works for any home in the UK.

A&E patients seen within 4 hours

50.9%

University Hospital Ayr, the A&E nearest most of the council's neighbourhoods, in September 2026 (Scotland 60.6%). The NHS standard is 95%.

Red calls: ambulance response

14 min 12 s

Median, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, 26 Oct (Scotland 10 min 19 s).

Households in fuel poverty

28%

2022-2024, Scotland's own measure; 24th highest of 32 in Scotland.

Extra deaths in winter

19.0%

Average winter rise in deaths, 2014/15 to 2018/19 (Scotland 18.3%).

A&E waiting times at the hospitals nearest South Ayrshire's residents

A&ENearest toSeen within 4 hoursNationWaited over 12 hours
University Hospital Ayr22 neighbourhoods (1.5 km from the nearest)50.9% in September 2026Scotland 60.6%16.6%
University Hospital Crosshouse5 neighbourhoods (5.8 km from the nearest)54.4% in September 2026Scotland 60.6%10.5%
A&E patients seen within 4 hours: University Hospital Ayr against Scotland: University Hospital Ayr 58.5% (Oct 2024) to 50.9% (Sep 2026); Scotland 63.7% (Oct 2024) to 60.6% (Sep 2026).52.6%66.2%Sep 2026Jan 2026May 2025Oct 2024University Hospital Ayr50.9%Scotland60.6%
All attendances at type 1 emergency departments in Public Health Scotland's monthly A&E statistics. Scotland's line is our own sum of its type 1 departments. The NHS standard is 95%.
A&E patients seen within 4 hours: University Hospital Crosshouse against Scotland: University Hospital Crosshouse 70.2% (Oct 2024) to 54.4% (Sep 2026); Scotland 63.7% (Oct 2024) to 60.6% (Sep 2026).55.1%73.7%Sep 2026Jan 2026May 2025Oct 2024University Hospital Crosshouse54.4%Scotland60.6%
All attendances at type 1 emergency departments in Public Health Scotland's monthly A&E statistics. Scotland's line is our own sum of its type 1 departments. The NHS standard is 95%.

Each of the council's neighbourhoods (intermediate zones) is matched to its nearest major A&E in a straight line, not by travel time or catchment. The NHS standard is 95% within 4 hours. A&E waiting times: NHS England, A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions, Emergency Care Data Set performance (experimental statistics); Welsh Government, StatsWales, emergency department performance; Public Health Scotland, monthly A&E activity and waiting times. All Open Government Licence v3.0.

Ambulance response times

  • Ambulance service South Ayrshire is covered by NHS Ayrshire and Arran. Response times are published for the whole board or trust, not by council.
  • Red calls, latest 14 min 12 s (NHS Ayrshire and Arran, 26 Oct); Scotland 10 min 19 s.
Red calls: median response each week in minutes: NHS Ayrshire and Arran against Scotland: NHS Ayrshire and Arran 11.8 (6 Jul) to 14.2 (26 Oct); Scotland 9 (6 Jul) to 10.3 (26 Oct).9.513.86 Jul31 Aug26 OctNHS Ayrshire and Arran14.2Scotland10.3
Scottish Ambulance Service, weekly unscheduled care operational statistics (official statistics), by the health board of the incident; the latest weeks are provisional. No time target is published.

GP appointments: how soon people are seen

  • GP appointments Not published by practice or council for Scotland.

Fire and rescue response times

  • Response to fires Not published as data for Scotland.

Homes at risk of flooding

  • Homes at risk of flooding Not available yet: the council figures job has not read SEPA's flood maps for South Ayrshire.

Fuel poverty

  • Households in fuel poverty, 2022-2024 28% (about 15,000 households); Scotland 31%.
  • Where it ranks 24th highest of 32 councils in Scotland.
  • Measured how Scotland's own measure, so not comparable with the other nations' figures.
Households in fuel poverty, 2022-2024: South Ayrshire among Scotland's councils: North Lanarkshire 30%; Renfrewshire 30%; South Lanarkshire 30%; Clackmannanshire 29%; North Ayrshire 28%; South Ayrshire 28%; Falkirk 27%; Angus 26%; East Dunbartonshire 26%; East Renfrewshire 26%; East Lothian 25%. Reference lines: Scotland.North Lanarkshire30%Renfrewshire30%South Lanarkshire30%Clackmannanshire29%North Ayrshire28%South Ayrshire28%Falkirk27%Angus26%East Dunbartonshire26%East Renfrewshire26%East Lothian25%Scotland
Scottish Government, Scottish House Condition Survey local authority tables, 2022-2024 combined: Scotland's statutory definition (fuel costs over 10% of income after housing costs, leaving too little for an acceptable standard of living). A survey: shares are whole percents and a small council's margin is wide. Shown: South Ayrshire and the councils ranked nearest it; all 32 are listed below.
All 32 councils, ranked
Households in fuel poverty, 2022-2024: South Ayrshire among Scotland's councils: Orkney Islands 51%; West Dunbartonshire 43%; Na h-Eileanan Siar 40%; Shetland Islands 40%; Dumfries and Galloway 38%; Dundee City 38%; East Ayrshire 38%; Inverclyde 36%; Argyll and Bute 35%; Glasgow City 35%; Fife 34%; Aberdeen City 33%; Aberdeenshire 33%; Moray 33%; Highland 31%; Midlothian 31%; Scottish Borders 31%; West Lothian 31%; North Lanarkshire 30%; Renfrewshire 30%; South Lanarkshire 30%; Clackmannanshire 29%; North Ayrshire 28%; South Ayrshire 28%; Falkirk 27%; Angus 26%; East Dunbartonshire 26%; East Renfrewshire 26%; East Lothian 25%; City of Edinburgh 24%; Perth and Kinross 24%; Stirling 22%. Reference lines: Scotland.Orkney Islands51%West Dunbartonshire43%Na h-Eileanan Siar40%Shetland Islands40%Dumfries and Galloway38%Dundee City38%East Ayrshire38%Inverclyde36%Argyll and Bute35%Glasgow City35%Fife34%Aberdeen City33%Aberdeenshire33%Moray33%Highland31%Midlothian31%Scottish Borders31%West Lothian31%North Lanarkshire30%Renfrewshire30%South Lanarkshire30%Clackmannanshire29%North Ayrshire28%South Ayrshire28%Falkirk27%Angus26%East Dunbartonshire26%East Renfrewshire26%East Lothian25%City of Edinburgh24%Perth and Kinross24%Stirling22%Scotland
Scottish Government, Scottish House Condition Survey local authority tables, 2022-2024 combined: Scotland's statutory definition (fuel costs over 10% of income after housing costs, leaving too little for an acceptable standard of living). A survey: shares are whole percents and a small council's margin is wide.

Extra deaths in winter

  • Five winters before the pandemic (2014/15 to 2018/19) Deaths in winter were on average 19.0% higher than in the rest of the year here (Scotland 18.3%); our own average of the five winters' indexes.
  • Latest winter, 2024/25 4.0% more deaths than in the rest of the year (Scotland 13.8%).
Extra deaths in winter (winter mortality index, %): South Ayrshire against Scotland: South Ayrshire 14 (2010/11) to 4 (2024/25); Scotland 14.3 (2010/11) to 13.8 (2024/25).4.625.42024/252021/222018/192015/162010/11South Ayrshire4Scotland13.8
The winter mortality index: deaths from December to March against the average of the four months before and the four after, as a percentage. One winter in a small council swings widely; a gap is a winter with no rise, which the publisher does not index. National Records of Scotland, Winter mortality in Scotland 2024/25, Table 6 (deaths registered; the latest winter provisional); © Crown copyright 2026. Scotland's line is our own, from the councils' summed deaths.

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Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Health, flood, fuel poverty and winter figures: the publishers named in each section, Open Government Licence v3.0 unless stated. Figures describe the area, not any home, and are not a valuation or a prediction.