WAITING time targets in Scotland’s A&E units have been missed for two full years, according to the latest official figures.

NHS data showed only 90.6 per cent of patients on average were seen within four hours in August 2019.

The last time the waiting target of 95% was met was 24 months previously, in August 2017.

Labour said it was a shameful and inexcusable failure by the Scottish Government, and singled out Health Secretary Jeane Freeman for criticism.

Other official statistics showed more than a quarter of A&E patients (27.6%) having to wait more than four hours at the Glasgow’s £850m Queen Elizabeth superhospital in August, the worst waiting time record in the country.

A total of 556 operations were also cancelled due to capacity or non-clinical reasons, 23.7% of all cancellations, a phenomenon drive by staff shortages.

Delayed discharge figures were also on the rise again, with more people unable to leave hospital despite being well, most because of a lack of social care provision.

Monica Lennon, Labour health spokesperson at Holyrood, said: “Jeane Freeman was handpicked by Nicola Sturgeon to turnaround the bad record of the former Health Secretary but our precious NHS is struggling like never before.

“It is utterly shameful and completely inexcusable that the A&E waiting time target has not been met in two whole years.

“Over the weekend health boards have been begging sick and injured people not to attend A&E unless they have very serious symptoms.

“The public must use our NHS responsibly but the figures don’t lie; our hospitals are bursting at the seams because social care packages are not available to allow older people to return to the community and we don’t have enough staff or beds to look after everyone.

“It is clear that SNP Ministers simply don’t have a remedy for the problems they have created over the last 12 years. This is not good enough and Scottish Labour will continue to make the case for the right investment in health and social care services.”

Scottish LibDem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: The SNP made a song and dance about producing a waiting times plan but it doesn’t seem to be having an impact.

“Waits at A&E are now worse. Nearly 4,000 patients waited longer than expected last week, including more than 300 waiting over 8 hours.

“Staff and patients have every right to demand better. The Health Secretary needs to ease the strain on A&E departments by boosting mental health, social care and GP services. “Given the pressure on staff, she must also now finally publish the integrated workforce plan that staff were told would be out last year.”

The August census also found 1,162 trapped in hospital because of a lack of care outside.

The 46,897 days spent in hospital by people whose discharge was delayed was up 7% on August 2018.

The average number of beds occupied per day due to delayed discharges was 1,513 compared to 1,464 in July.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said this so-called bed blocking was a “huge mental blow” to patients and a strain on hospitals backed up with other cases needing beds.

He said: “We have been warning the Health Secretary of the scarcity of community care packages and the need to ease pressure on our hardworking NHS and social care staff.”

Ms Freeman said: "NHS Scotland funding is at a record high, supporting a historically high number of staff delivering care to the people of Scotland.

"Despite substantially increased attendances at our A&Es, around nine in 10 people are still being seen, treated or discharged within four hours of going to A&E.

"Scotland's A&Es have been the best performing A&Es anywhere in the UK for over four years, with our core A&Es in August being 10.5 percentage points higher than in NHS England, and 17.6 percentage points higher than in NHS Wales.

"But we want to go further, that's why I brought forward the £850 million waiting times improvement plan to help increase capacity and efficiency, and introduce new models of care, which will further improve the services our NHS delivers.

"This is thanks to the ongoing hard work and dedication of our NHS staff."