A&E ready occasions in Scotland have continued to stagnate as lower than two thirds of individuals have been seen inside 4 hours, new figures present.
Statistics launched by Public Well being Scotland on Tuesday present 63.5% of attendances at emergency departments within the week as much as November 19 have been seen and subsequently admitted, transferred or discharged inside the goal time.
The Scottish Authorities goals for this determine to be at 95%.
he quantity dropped barely from 63.9% the earlier week.
The statistics additionally confirmed 3,234 folks throughout that week waited longer than eight hours, amounting to 13.1% of all attendances.
A complete of 1,370 folks – 5.5% – waited greater than 12 hours.
Well being Secretary Michael Matheson stated: “I’m clear that A&E efficiency shouldn’t be the place it must be and we’re working with boards to assist the supply of sustained enhancements.
“Our £12 million growth of Hospital at Dwelling helps relieve stress on our A&E departments by guaranteeing folks obtain care at dwelling or as near dwelling as potential.
“Hospital mattress occupancy continues to be a significant component impacting on efficiency.
“To deal with this, the delayed discharge and hospital occupancy motion plan is being carried out at tempo, delivering actions we all know work to make sure sufferers obtain the suitable care in the suitable setting.
“As we enter the difficult winter interval, I want to thank workers for his or her continued distinctive efforts within the face of sustained stress.”
Scottish Tory well being spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane stated the figures confirmed the significance of getting a Well being Secretary who was not “mired in private scandal”, referring to the row over a near-£11,000 information roaming invoice racked up on Mr Matheson’s parliamentary iPad throughout a vacation to Morocco.
“Scotland’s A&E wards are already in disaster earlier than we’re even within the full grips of winter, but discredited Michael Matheson continues to be distracted by his unravelling tissue of lies round his iPad,” Dr Gulhane stated.
“We all know that these unacceptable figures – which take within the first full week of the roaming fees scandal – may have led to tragic and pointless lack of life, and are a legacy of years of dire workforce planning by a succession of SNP well being secretaries.
“The figures for the Queen Elizabeth College Hospital – the flagship hospital in Scotland’s largest well being board – are significantly terrifying, with simply 40% of sufferers being seen inside 4 hours.
“Regardless of the most effective efforts of my hardworking colleagues on the frontline, our emergency wards merely can’t cope and the very last thing we’d like is a preoccupied well being secretary unable to deal with the disaster.”