SNP ministers have been urged to act now to avoid A&E waiting times “spiralling out of control” after a surge in missed targets as patient numbers return to pre-pandemic levels.

New figures showed there were 129,444 attendances at Scotland’s A&E units in May, more than at any point since January 2020. 

The number is 46 per cent up on the the 88,614 attendances seen in May last year.

Figures published by Public Health Scotland also show 16,640 patients waited longer than the four-hour target to be seen in May, up 3,590, or 27%, compared to April.

A further 1,782 (1.4%) patients waited more than eight hours while 407 (0.3%) were left waiting for more than 12 hours.

With just 87.1% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, it means the Scottish Government’s target of 95% has not been met since July last year.

After the lockdown began, A&E attendances plummeted as people stayed away to avoid putting pressure on the NHS as well as out of fear about catching the virus.

They hit a record low of 65,117 in April 2020, then increased again over the summer, before dipping again because of the autumn and winter lockdown.

They have been rising sharply again since February. 

Last week, the Royal College for Emergency Medicine reported serious shortages on the NHS frontline and warned that many medics are at risk of burnout.  

Scottish Labour demanded Health Secretary Humza Yousaf act to prevent an “A&E crisis.”  

Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “These statistics plainly show that our A&E services are under increasing strain and that the Scottish Government’s eye is simply not on the ball.  

“We cannot have thousands of patients in pain for hours and hours in A&E clinics but unless other services are properly remobilised patients will feel they have nowhere else to turn. 

“It’s high time that the SNP government takes action to support and properly resource frontline medics so that an A&E crisis can be averted.”  

The Scottish Greens said the A&E spike showed health services may stil be vulnerable to Covid cases rising.

MSP Gillian Mackay said: “The spike in numbers of people going to A&E is hopefully a sign that more people are accessing health services when they have worrying symptoms, and we must continue to encourage those who are concerned to seek help. 

“This surge in demand will undoubtedly be placing strain on health services, however, while Covid-19 case numbers are so high. That we have once again failed to meet the 4-hour waiting time standard clearly shows the pressure that A&E departments are under.

“The Scottish Government must do more to raise awareness of the community services that are available, as some of those attending A&E will be able to get the care they need at their local pharmacy, for example.

“It must also ensure that the NHS is properly supported to meet rising demand. 

“A&E departments and GP surgeries are extremely busy at the moment and there are no signs of this abating as previously undiagnosed conditions emerge and backlogs of care are worked through. They cannot be expected to provide pre-pandemic levels of service without increased resource.”