SCOTTISH Labour slammed the SNP today for presiding over a “permanent crisis” of A&E in Scotland after new figures showed lengthening waiting lists.

The Public Health Scotland stats today show that in the week beginning April 3 the proportion of patients seen within four hours fell to just 68 per cent, the third worst week on record.

During this period there were 24,575 attendances at A&E services in NHS Scotland, of which 68 per cent were seen within four hours.