Scotland's A&E target figures are worst since start of 2018

Scotland's Accident and Emergency departments have recorded their worst performance since January 2018, official figures have revealed.

In the week to 3 December, 81.2% of patients in emergency departments were admitted, transferred or discharged within the government's four-hour target.

The government wants 95% of cases to be completed within four hours of arrival.

The last time emergency departments hit that target was in July 2017.

The A&E record has been deteriorating almost weekly since September.

The latest figures show that in the week to 3 December:

In the NHS Tayside area, 96.2% of patients were dealt with within fours hours. But in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, less than three-quarters (74.4%) were seen within the target time.

At the flagship Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, just seven out 10 (70.5%) patients in A&E were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

Scotland's Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has defended A&E performance and insisted that Scottish A&E departments have been doing better than their English counterparts.

She said a higher proportion of patients had been admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours in Scotland than in England for the last three-and-a-half years.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton criticised the government for putting NHS staff under too much pressure.

He said: "We are now seeing a two-year low in A&E performance.

"Doctors and nurses are fully-stretched. They can't go on like this.

"On this SNP government's watch, this target has not been met for years."

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