Performance times in Scotland’s A&E waits have fallen to a five-month low as the NHS heads into its winter peak season, according to the latest official figures.

Public Health Scotland reported just 65.1% of patients were seen within the four-hour target in the week ending October 22, down from 66% the previous week.

It was the lowest figure since the week ending May 14.

The figures did not include data from NHS Grampian “due to technical issues”.

As the board has some of the worst A&E waits in Scotland, with only 60.9% of patients seen on time in the week to October 15, the national picture is likely to be even worse. 

Across Scotland, the number of patients at A&E last week fell from 25,547 to 21,959 - in part reflecting the omission of NHS Grampian (1,792 patients the previous week).

Among those who were counted, the number waiting more than 8 hours rose from 11.1 to 12.6% of all patients, the highest percentage in six months.

While the number waiting more than 12 hours rose from 4.1 to 5.8%, the highest percentage since late March.

Despite the omission of NHS Grampian data, the absolute number of patients waiting more than 12 hours also rose, from 1.046 to 1,281, another six-month high.

Again, this points to the true figure being worse when NHS Grampain’s numbers are belatedly added in next week.

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.

Among those boards reporting data, the worst performing last week was NHS Forth Valley, where 45.3% of patients were seen on time, followed by NHS Lanarkshire (57.6%) and NHS Fife (63%).

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) 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 Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “A&E waiting times hitting their worst level since May should set alarms going in the Scottish Government.

“A&E waits did not get close to the 95% target over the summer when waits are typically shorter and now as we head into winter waits are worsening from an even lower starting point than normal.

“NHS staff simply don’t have the beds, safe staffing and resources they need. They are working flat out but they need support from the SNP/Green government now before winter pressures arrive in their true strength.

“That means an urgent inquiry into the hundreds of avoidable deaths linked to the emergency care crisis, a staff burnout prevention strategy and a health and social care staff assembly.”

The latest figures coincided with the BBC revealing the number of people in Scotland waiting more than a day inA&E is up 250-fold since before the Covid pandemic.

Data obtained by the RCEM found 3,949 patients spent more than 24 hours in A&E in the six months to June this year compared to 15 in the same period in 2019.

Between 2013 and 2018, only a handful of patients waited 24 hours or more each year.

The numbers surged in 2021, with almost 7,000 enduring day-long waits in 2022.

Doctors described the figures as "completely unacceptable" and warned that delays were associated with patient harm and increased mortality.

RCEM vice president Dr John-Paul Loughrey said: “Every day we see appalling numbers of people facing long waits for care.

"What is shocking is the speed and scale of the increase in these waits in just a few years." "The government cannot ignore the fact that 24 hours in A&E has become reality and emergency care is not functioning as it should."

The Scottish Government admitted: "A&E performance is not where it needs to be".

SNP Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: "I am clear that A&E performance is not where it needs to be and we are working closely with boards on measures to help reduce the number of long delays - which remain too high.

"Our Winter Plan will support boards to maximise capacity to meet demand and our £12m expansion of Hospital at Home will ensure people receive care at home or as close to home as possible, where clinically appropriate, to help reduce pressure on our emergency departments."

“As a result our significant investment of over £15m, an additional 1,000 nurses, midwives and Allied Health Professional from overseas have joined NHS Scotland in the last two years to bolster our existing workforce this winter

"Our £50m funding for the Scottish Ambulance Service will help tackle increased demand and support on-going recruitment - this investment will help reduce the need for people to go to hospital."