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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Waiting times at Scottish A&E departments meet target | Waiting times at Scottish A&E departments meet target |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scotland's accident and emergency departments have met a key waiting time target for the first time since weekly reporting began. | Scotland's accident and emergency departments have met a key waiting time target for the first time since weekly reporting began. |
| Official figures indicated 95.4% of patients were seen and then admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. | Official figures indicated 95.4% of patients were seen and then admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. |
| The latest numbers cover the week ending 12 July. The government's interim target set a figure of 95%. | The latest numbers cover the week ending 12 July. The government's interim target set a figure of 95%. |
| Health Secretary Shona Robison called the news "extremely promising". | Health Secretary Shona Robison called the news "extremely promising". |
| The controversial 95% target was introduced by the Scottish government as a stepping stone towards its full target of 98% of patients being dealt with in four hours or less. | The controversial 95% target was introduced by the Scottish government as a stepping stone towards its full target of 98% of patients being dealt with in four hours or less. |
| When weekly reporting started in February, only 86.1% of A&E patients were treated within four hours. | When weekly reporting started in February, only 86.1% of A&E patients were treated within four hours. |
| Missed target | Missed target |
| NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde missed the target in the latest figures. Its average waiting time was 93.9%. | |
| NHS Ayrshire and Arran (94.6%), NHS Grampian (94.7%), NHS Lothian (94.7%) were also slightly below the target. | |
| Across the country, a total of 61 patients waited in A&E for more than eight hours, while another seven people waited for more than 12 hours. | |
| Ms Robison said: "It is extremely promising that our core A&E departments are seeing and treating 95% of patients within four hours. NHS staff have been working extremely hard to cut waiting times and deliver a first-class service, and the figures published today are testament to this. | Ms Robison said: "It is extremely promising that our core A&E departments are seeing and treating 95% of patients within four hours. NHS staff have been working extremely hard to cut waiting times and deliver a first-class service, and the figures published today are testament to this. |
| "It is also good to see that every health board in Scotland treated nine out of 10 people within four hours, with 13 reaching 95%. In addition, long waits continue to remain low. | "It is also good to see that every health board in Scotland treated nine out of 10 people within four hours, with 13 reaching 95%. In addition, long waits continue to remain low. |
| "We now need to maintain this improvement and continue to achieve 95% nationally throughout the summer to ensure that all health boards are in an optimum position as we head in to this winter." | "We now need to maintain this improvement and continue to achieve 95% nationally throughout the summer to ensure that all health boards are in an optimum position as we head in to this winter." |
| Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: "This is welcome news and Scottish Conservatives congratulate all those who worked hard to make it possible. | |
| "However, as we all know, one swallow does not make a summer and it would be hugely complacent to think that all must now be well when figures improve in a week while many may be away on holiday. Good news certainly, but so much more still to do." | |
| Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Jim Hume said the minister was not correct to claim 13 out of 14 health boards met the interim A&E target, as three were just below the 95% target. | |
| Mr Hume said: "The SNP government must correct the record for what is simply a wrong and misleading claim. | |
| "It seems they have been up to their old tricks of putting spin before substance. | |
| "This isn't fair on patients or on NHS staff. That it has taken 100 weeks to achieve this interim target demonstrates the scale of the problems faced by many hard-pressed health boards. It has been some 300 weeks since the SNP's original target has been met." | |
| The weekly figures showed that the hospital site with the best performance record was Ninewells in Dundee (99.1%). | |
| The lowest percentage of patients treated within four hours was Inverclyde Royal Hospital (88.2%). |