Scotland has recorded its worst May on record for A&E waits, figures have shown.
The number of patients being seen within the four-hour target has fallen from 98.1% in 2008 to 67.7% in 2026.
The data from Public Health Scotland shows the worst five Mays on record for wait times have been in the last five years.
Last year, 71.9% of people at emergency departments were seen within four hours, dropping to 71.7% in 2024 and 71.1% in 2023 – 73.3% of patients at A&E in 2022 were seen within the target.
May’s figures were also down compared to April, when 68% of attendances were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within four hours.
Waits over eight hours and 12 hours remained the same at 11.3% and 4.7% respectively, compared to the previous month.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Adam Harley said: “When the SNP first took power, virtually no-one was waiting more than 12 hours at A&E.
“Now, nearly 7,000 people experienced these waits in May alone.
“People are waiting what must feel like a lifetime at A&E because there are too many beds occupied by patients who can’t get the care package they need to return home.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats will keep a laser focus on fixing the crisis in social care, because that’s the only way to get the NHS back on track.”
Jackie Baillie, deputy leader of Scottish Labour, said that despite SNP promises to fix the “deadly crisis” in emergency departments, waits were “worse than ever”.
She said: “The SNP need to end the broken promises and put in place a real plan to fix this mess – supporting staff, easing pressure on hospitals and improving primary care.
“Scotland deserves better and we cannot afford any more A&E chaos.”
After two decades of SNP incompetence, A&E departments are stuck in permanent crisis mode, and lives are being put at risk
Scottish Conservative MSP Miles Briggs said: “Yet again we’re seeing the SNP preside over the worst A&E performance on record, and still they refuse to accept the scale of the crisis engulfing our NHS.
“Patients are being left in danger while ministers bury their heads in the sand and pretend things are improving.
“After two decades of SNP incompetence, A&E departments are stuck in permanent crisis mode, and lives are being put at risk.
“Frontline staff are doing everything they can, but they’ve been abandoned by a government whose dire workforce planning has left services overwhelmed.
“John Swinney and Angela Constance must finally admit their approach has failed and back Scottish Conservative plans to cut bureaucracy, boost staffing and get resources to the frontline.”
Health Secretary Angela Constance said: “A&E departments continue to experience significant pressure and there was a 7.8% increase in the number of people attending Scotland’s A&Es in May, compared to the previous month.
“These pressures are not unique to Scotland, with other UK nations facing similar demands.
“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.”