Most patients seen within four hours at Scottish A&E departments

The figures, published weekly, show that despite the pressures on the NHS from the coronavirus crisis, people are still able to be seen then admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. In the week ending May 3, this was true of almost 95 per cent of more than 16,000 attendances across Scotland.

The strongest performing health trust was NHS Orkney with 98.8 per cent of A&E visits resolved within four hours while the lowest recorded figure was Greater Glasgow and Clyde at 93.7 per cent.

During the week, only 43 patients in Scotland spent more than eight hours in an A&E department and nine were in A&E for more than 12 hours.

Commenting on the figures, health secretary Jeane Freeman said: “The latest weekly A&E waiting times figures which show that for the week ending May 3, 94.8 per cent were seen and treated within four hours is due to the continued hard work and dedication of staff in our NHS who are providing an exceptional level of care during these extraordinary times. Each and every staff member has my very grateful thanks.

“While members of the public are continuing to listen to advice and only going to A&E if illnesses are immediate or life threatening, I want to remind people not to ignore early warning signs of serious conditions. If you have new symptoms then it’s vital you get this checked out either by contacting your GP, calling 111 or if symptoms are urgent, by attending A&E.

“We are working closely with health boards and partnerships to ensure robust plans are in place to strengthen capacity and minimise the impact of Covid-19 across the health system.”