Weekly Scottish A&E waiting times improve

The latest weekly waiting times for accident and emergency departments suggest there has been a slight improvement, although Scottish government targets are being missed.

The target is for 95% of people to be treated and discharged within four hours.

Figures for the first week in March suggest 90% of people were treated within four hours at Scotland's major hospitals.

It was 87% during the previous week.

Accident and emergency waiting times cover the length of time patients wait to be seen, treated and discharged.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "Scotland's core A&E sites are seeing, treating and either discharging or admitting nine out of 10 people within four hours.

"This improving performance is an encouraging sign that, backed up by government support, health boards are recovering from a challenging winter."

Clinicians point out that most people are assessed very quickly, but may wait longer for tests or scans, or for admission to a bed in another part of the hospital.