The number of patients waiting too long in Scotland’s A&E units has hit a seven-week high, with the number enduring the most extreme waits the biggest since mid-May.

Figures from Public Health Scotland showed more than a third of people attending a casualty ward last week waited more than the official four-hour target.

In the week ending October 1, only 66.1% of patients were seen on time, down from 66.3% the week before, and 67.4% the week before that.

It was the worst Scotland-wide percentage figure since the week ending August 13.

Opposition parties demanded SNP Health Secretary Michael Matheson get a grip of the problem, especially with waits expected to get even worse in winter.

The number of patients waiting more than four hours last week rose from 8,734 to a three-week high of 8,797, as attendances rose from 25,893 to 25,920.

The figures also revealed rises in the number of patients waiting more than eight and 12 hours to be seen in A&E last week.

The number waiting more than eight hours rose from 2,792 to another three-week high or 2,870, or 11.1% of all patients. 

However the number waiting more than half-a-day jumped from from 969 to 1,142 or 4.4% of all patients, the highest number since the 1,191 seen in the week ending May 14.

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The target is for 95% of patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

It has not been met nationally since July 2020.

Tory MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: “It is utterly unacceptable that the norm is now for a third of patients to be left waiting over four hours in Scotland’s A&E departments.

“These shocking delays are a direct result of dire workforce planning by successive SNP health secretaries and the failure of Humza Yousaf’s flimsy NHS recovery plan.

“We know that these lengthy waits – with thousands of patients languishing in A&E for over eight or even over twelve hours – can lead to tragic, avoidable deaths.”

He went on: “What makes these figures even more terrifying for overstretched staff and patients is that the peak winter period for Scotland’s NHS is still to come.

“The fear of my colleagues on the frontline – shared by the SNP convener of the health committee, Clare Haughey – is that ministers have not learned the lessons from last winter and our health service is not equipped for the increased demands it will inevitably face.

 “Michael Matheson must urgently tackle the crisis before it escalates.”

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The worst performing health board last week was NHS Forth Valley, where 47.8% of patients were seen on time, followed by NHS Lanarkshire (59.8%) and NHS Borders (62.2%) .

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has calculated there will be an excess death for every 1 in 72 patients who spend between eight and 12 hours in an A&E. 

Scottish Labour deputy Dame Jackie Baillie said A&E departments had been “in constant chaos for years”, and accused ministers of being “complacent”.

She added: “The SNP Government appear to have accepted this turmoil is the new normal for our health service and seem to have given up on fixing it.

“This relentless crisis is putting lives at risk every single week, forcing thousands of patients to suffer for hours on end and leaving staff exhausted.

“Scottish Labour will continue to fight for urgent action to end this crisis, starting by tackling delayed discharge and properly supporting staff.”