Health Boards In Fife And Lothian Missing A&E Waiting Time Targets

Accident and emergency waiting time targets were missed again in Scotland during January. New figures show 87.1% of patients were seen over the month and subsequently admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. The Scottish Government target is for at least 95% of A&E patients to be seen within the time limit. NHS Lothian narrowly missed the deadline with a figure of 94.5% while NHS Fife lagged behind on 88.2% Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "Staff in Scotland's NHS are continuing to do a fantastic job to treat people as quickly as possible. "This winter has been a very challenging time with an increase in attendances and admissions, as well as more severe flu-related illnesses and treating more people with complex illnesses.'' She added: "We are determined to improve performance through a whole system approach, improving patient flow throughout their journey from admission to discharge.