WAITING time performances in Scotland’s emergency departments have fallen back to their worst level for six weeks.

Official figures for A&E waiting times showed 94.7 per cent of patients treated within the four-hour target in the week ending June 7, down from 95.2% the previous week.

The last time the target was hit 94.7% of times was April 26, while the peak was 95.9% in the week ending May 17.

The slip in waiting time performance was in spite of a marginal increase in attendances.

In the week to June 7, there were 20,044 attendances at A&E departments, up 240 from the previous week.

The number of patients waiting more than eight hours was 73, the highest since March 22, however the number waiting over 12 hours was seven, down from 11 the previous week.

The worst performer was NHS borders, with just 88.7% of patients treated within four hours, while the best was NHS Shetland, with 98.9%, albeit with just 87 attendances.

Scotland’s largest health board, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, treated 96% of its 4,891 patients on time.

The number of attendances collapsed at the start of the lockdown as people stayed away out of fear of catching coronavirus or being a burden on the NHS.

Attendances were 26,103 in the first week March, fell to a low of 11,059 by March 29, and have been slowly increasing ever since.

SNP Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said paid tribute to the “continued hard work and dedication of staff” in providing exceptional level of care in a time of crisis.  

She said: “As lockdown restrictions begin to ease we are beginning to see an increase in the level of attendances. 

“As we move towards gradually resuming NHS services paused as a result of Covid-19, I want to remind people that if you have urgent medical concerns to contact your GP or NHS 24, who can provide advice and direct you to the most appropriate service. 

“Do not ignore early warning signs of serious conditions - if you have new symptoms then it’s vital you get this checked out.

“We continue to work closely with Health Boards and partnerships to ensure the development and implementation of robust local mobilisation plans which aim to strengthen capacity and minimise the impact of Covid-19 across the health system.”