A&E waiting times hit new low - NHS Forth Valley the worst performing
New stats show less than 40% of people attending A&E at NHS Forth Valley are being seen within the target time
A record low number of patients in Scotland are being seen within A&E waiting time tagets.
Just 63.5% of people were seen within four hours in the last week.
NHS Forth Valley continues to be the worst performing health board, with just 38.3% of people seen in that target.
Whilst NHS Lothian are also among the worst performing, and below the national average, with 60.4 %.
Scotland's Health Secretary has branded the figures "Just not acceptable."
Humza Yousaf told Forth News that NHS Forth Valley and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh were among sites with "really challenging figures".
"I'm not going to defend that, but I want to give you an assurance - and those that are watching - that the Government is intently focused and I'm intently focused on gaining an immediate improvement, particularly on our more challenging sites."
An NHS Forth Valley spokesperson said:
"Local social care services across Forth Valley are facing significant staffing pressures along with increasing demand for home care.
"We have also seen high numbers of seriously ill patients who require to be admitted to hospital as well as many patients who are experiencing delays in being discharged from hospital because they require a package of care to be put in place or are waiting for a place in a local care home.
"As a result, some patients have had to wait for longer periods of time in the Emergency Department until an inpatient bed becomes available. However, all patients are assessed by an experienced senior nurse to establish their clinical priority and regular observations are carried out by nursing staff while patients wait to be reviewed by a clinician.
"Staff are doing everything possible to reduce delays and many patients also undergo tests and start their treatment in ED while they are waiting to be admitted to a ward."
NHS Lothian has also been asked for a response.