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Scotland's neglected A&E patient numbers 'worrying'

EVIDENCE of soaring numbers of neglected A&E patients are “extremely worrying,” a Labour MSP said yesterday.

Audit Scotland’s annual report last week found that more than 100,000 people were stuck in triage across Scotland’s A&E departments last year.

Over 93 per cent of patients were seen within four hours, according to the report.

But around 104,000 patients had to wait even longer, nearly trebling the number of exceeded wait times recorded five years ago.

Health Secretary Alex Neil has defended his government’s record, saying there had been an 87 per cent reduction in patients waiting over 12 hours.

But Scottish Labour’s Hugh Henry of the Public Audit Committee yesterday branded the figures “extremely worrying.”

“The fact that things are getting worse should give cause for concern, not just for the Scottish Parliament but for the wider public,” he said.

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