Scotland’s accident and emergency departments are in “permanent crisis mode”, the Tories claimed, despite the latest weekly figures showing more patients being treated within the target time.
Official figures for the final week in May showed that of the 27,713 people who attended at A&E for help, 64.6% were seen and either admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.
That is an improvement from the previous week’s total of 62.8% – but is still a significant way off the Scottish Government target of having 95% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged in four hours or less.
This target was missed for 9,814 patients in the week ending Sunday May 31, Public Health Scotland figures showed.
These damning figures are the latest proof that our NHS is in permanent crisis mode under the SNP.
However, the number of patients with the longest waits was down, with 3,205 patients there for eight hours or more, meaning 11.6% had such waits, compared to 13.1% the previous week.
There were also 1,290 Scots who spent 12 hours or more in A&E, with 4,7% having waits of half a day or more, compared to 5.5% in the previous week.
Health Secretary Angela Constance said: “A&E departments continue to experience significant pressure – this is not unique to Scotland with other UK nations facing similar demands.”
She added: “I am committed to improving A&E performance and tackling delays for patients.
“That’s why we will be publishing a new national plan for improving the flow of patients through our hospitals, from the front door to discharge, within our first 100 days.”
But Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Miles Briggs said: “These damning figures are the latest proof that our NHS is in permanent crisis mode under the SNP.
“Thousands of desperate patients are suffering unacceptably long waiting times in our overwhelmed A&E departments, and we know this tragically costs lives.
“Frontline staff are working flat out for patients, but they are being asked to perform miracles due to the SNP’s dire workforce planning.”
Hitting out at the First Minister and his Government, the Tory added: “John Swinney and his new health secretary Angela Constance should be finally outlining how they will tackle this crisis and ease the pressure on frontline services.”