By Adam Morris
Doctors in Scotland have dealt with more than 2,000 stabbings over the last five years, new figures have revealed.
Hospitals across the country treat hundreds of patients who have been assaulted by a sharp object each year, although the numbers appear to be reducing.
According to research by 1919, complete figures for 2025 are likely to show a five-year low in stabbing victims who require emergency hospital care.
But charities and politicians say the numbers are still too high, and are calling for more resources for police to deal firmly with violent offenders.
The Scottish Government noted the longer-term trend was also in decline, in part due to the increase in maximum sentence for knife possession and handling.
Emergency stabbing admissions rose to 472 in 2023, prompting concern that violence was once again rising.
However, statistics obtained through freedom of information legislation show 344 cases in 2025, with only a minor amount of full-year data missing from small hospitals which rarely experience such incidents.
“Violence has a devastating impact on families, friends and communities, affecting too many lives,” said Jimmy Paul, head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit.
“Reducing violence is a shared responsibility. It requires working together with parents, organisations and communities to develop effective solutions and build safer communities.
“While any reduction is welcome, more work is needed to prevent weapon carrying, rather than responding only to its consequences.”
Casualty departments in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde dominated the data, accounting for around half of Scotland’s cases despite covering less than a quarter of the national population.
Scottish Conservative candidate for the Glasgow region, Annie Wells, said: “As with most countries we know the biggest city is also likely to have the most cases of violence.
“A lot of good work has gone into shedding Glasgow of its reputation over the decades, but these figures show there is plenty of work still to do.
“That starts by properly resourcing the police to do that job, and strengthening the justice system to deal robustly with those the police bring to them.”
“Any level of violence involving sharp objects has a profound impact on individuals, families and communities”
Medics Against Violence
The NHS Lothian region accounted for the second-highest number, with 373 instances since 2021, followed by NHS Tayside with 219.
There were 153 in Lanarkshire, and a further 92 in Fife.
A spokesperson for the charity Medics Against Violence added: “Any level of violence involving sharp objects has a profound impact on individuals, families and communities.
“While annual figures fluctuate, what we consistently see is that violence is preventable.
“Continued commitment to prevention and community-based support remains essential if we want to see sustained reductions in violence across Scotland.”
Information on emergency admissions following assault by a blunt instrument are regarded across the UK as a reliable indication of the seriousness and scale of knife crime.
There are government statistics available on people caught in possession of knives, and on assaults using weapons including knives.
The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey invites people to disclose if they have been victim of a violent incident, although it doesn’t specify the exact nature of the incident or if it required hospital treatment.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said there has been a 73 per cent decrease since 2008.
“Since 2023, the Scottish Government has invested more than £6 million for the delivery of a range of activities through the violence prevention framework,” they added.
“That includes the work of the Scottish Violence Reduction Union, Medics Against Violence and YouthLink Scotland’s No Knives, Better Lives programme, and the delivery of the mentors in violence prevention in schools throughout Scotland.”
Number of A&E admissions following assault by sharp object
| Year | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 410 |
| 2022 | 410 |
| 2023 | 472 |
| 2024 | 456 |
| 2025 | 344 |
| 5-year total | 2,092 |
Number of A&E admissions by health board since 2021
| Health board area | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ayrshire and Arran | 78 |
| Borders | 11* |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 19* |
| Fife | 92 |
| Forth Valley | 16 |
| Grampian | 79 |
| Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 1,061 |
| Highland | n/a |
| Lanarkshire | 153 |
| Lothian | 373 |
| Orkney | n/a |
| Shetland | 1 |
| Tayside | 219 |
| Western Isles | 8 |
