MORE than 90,000 patients waited longer than the Scottish Government's four-hour waiting time target at accident and emergency departments last year, according to newly-published figures.

The Government's target is that 95 per cent of patients who present at A&E should be seen and then admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

However, new figures published by Scottish Labour showed that 91,788 patients waited more than four hours – around seven per cent of all admissions – 7,179 patients waited more than eight hours and 1,021 patients waited more than 12 hours.

Scottish Labour health spokesperson Anas Sarwar said the figures NHS staff were "not getting the support they need from the SNP".

However, Scotland's health secretary Shona Robison, hitting back, said: “Under this government the number of people waiting four hours has reduced by almost a third, with almost 34,000 fewer patients having waits of over four hours."

The findings for Scotland's NHS were published as doctors leaders south of the border rejected a demand by Theresa May to move to a seven day-a-week opening for GP surgeries, warning they are struggling to cope with existing demands from patients.

Downing Street warned surgeries in England which refuse to move to 8am to 8pm opening, seven days-a-week will lose funding unless they can prove there is no demand from patients.

The British Medical Association hit back angrily, accusing ministers of trying to "scapegoat" doctors rather than address the chronic underfunding which was the true cause of the crisis in the NHS.

Separate figures for Scotland showed there have been more than 60,000 attacks on NHS staff since April 2012.

The findings were branded "incredibly concerning" by the Liberal Democrats after the party obtained the data under Freedom of Information laws.

Figures provided by regional health boards disclosed 61,360 attacks on health workers over the period, although the actual total is likely to be higher as a number of boards did not submit any data for the current year.

A Scottish Government spokesperson, in response, said: "Attacks or aggression against our NHS staff is unacceptable and the perpetrators must be dealt with in the strongest possible terms. No one should be the victim of abuse or violence while at work.

"We continue to encourage all NHS organisations to support appropriate action against anyone who assaults our staff."