ACCIDENT and emergency waiting time targets have been achieved only eight times in the past seven years, figures show.

The NHS in Scotland is continuing to miss a range of key waiting-time targets, including those for A&E and children and young people in need of mental health treatment.

New Health Secretary Shona Robison said the, "overwhelming majority," of people were receiving care within shorter timescales but accepted that more must be done.

The national standard for 98% of new attendances at A&E to be seen and then admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours was met for 93.5% of patients in September.

Figures show that the last time the standard was met across Scotland was September 2009, with the target hit on only eight occasions since July 2007.

The number of patients having to wait longer than the target time to be discharged from hospital has also risen again.

In October this year, 321 patients were delayed more than four weeks after they were ready to be sent home, according to NHS statistics.

The figure compares with 274 in July and 156 in October 2013.

Delayed discharges -also known as bed blocking - happen when patients are ready to leave hospital but their necessary care, support and accommodation arrangements are not yet in place.

Ms Robison said delayed discharges had been reduced by two thirds but said it was a priority area for the Scottish Government.

Health boards were also set a target to treat at least 90% of children and young people waiting for mental health services within 26 weeks from March 2013, reducing to 18 weeks from December 2014.

During the quarter ending with September, 86.2% of patients were seen within 26 weeks and 78% were seen within 18 weeks.

Ms Robison welcomed NHS Scotland continuing to meet the target to treat patients within 18 weeks of referral, with 90.1% of people seen within time in September.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Grampian and NHS Lothian were the only health boards to miss the target.

A 12-week guarantee for patients due for planned inpatient or day treatment was also met for 97.3% of people in the quarter ending September.

Ms Robison said next year's frontline health budget was being increased by 2.2% to bring health spending to more £12 billion for the first time.

She said: "Like A&E departments right across the UK, Scotland's NHS is facing the challenge of treating more people with more complex health issues.

"No patient should wait unnecessarily for treatment and one of my key priorities will be to focus on improving the flow through hospitals.

"This will not only reduce the number of patients waiting to be discharged but also help reduce pressure on frontline services."

C.DIFF APOLOGY - PAGE 19