A&E wait times at Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital have risen again after making a brief recovery.
Latest data shows waiting times performance has dropped once more at the struggling Corsebar Road site.
It comes as hospital chiefs once again plead with patients to avoid A&E departments to lessen the strain.
Improvements two weeks ago saw 67.3 per cent of patients dealt with in line with the Scottish Government’s four hour waiting time target.
But the figure dropped this week as 66.5 per cent of the 1,128 patients who attended the RAH’s emergency department were seen within four hours.
The Scottish Government calls for 95 per cent of patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged within a four hour timeframe from arrival.
But the target rarely been met in Scotland for months as staff battle on to maintain services in the wake of the pandemic.
The RAH has notched up some of the worst A&E performances in Scotland in recent months.
Figures for the week ending April 24 show some 378 patients waited more than four hours, while 131 waited eight or more.
Data shows 21 patients waited 12 hours or more.
Politicians have repeatedly hit out at the SNP Government’s record on health since the pandemic began, as services struggle.
But Health Minister Humza Yousaf says measures have been taken to boost the NHS, including a £300 million investment to help services deal with pressures last winter, alongside an £11 million five-year package aimed at recruiting staff nationally and internationally and funding of up to £15 million to help heatlh boards hire staff to provide additional capacity across a range of services.
The Scottish Government also says Scotland has the best paid NHS staff in the UK.
But A&E performance continues to be a concern, with just 44.8 per cent of the 1,840 patients who attended Govan’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital seen within four hours, according to the figure.
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The site is also operated by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland’s largest health board.
Dr Scott Davidson, deputy medical director for Acute Services at NHSGGC, said: “While Covid-19 case numbers are reducing and restrictions continue to be eased, the pressures on all our services are still significant.
“Our hospitals are near capacity and while our staff are doing everything they can to care for the patients they are seeing, they continue to face significant challenges.”
He urged patients to consider their options, before visting hospital, adding: “Hopefully we will see an improvement soon, but in the meantime, we are asking the public to do all they can to support our staff and services. If you feel you or someone you know needs medical help, we would strongly urge that you do all you can to support our staff and services, by carefully considering all the options available to you.
“If you have a minor ailment, a community pharmacy will be able to help, and GPs are open and continue to offer a wide range of healthcare services. If you think you need urgent medical help, please contact your GP or call NHS24 on 111. These are the best places to access the care you need.
“Please do not come to A&E unless you are suffering from a very urgent or life-threatening condition.”
UK government health minister, Sajid Javid, has this week threatened to ‘name and shame’ English NHS Trusts who do not ease pandemic restrictions quickly enough, including scrapping social distancing in emergency departments and ambulance and outpatient settings.
The latest covid data for Renfrewshire shows a slump in cases.
Just 573 positive cases were recorded in the seven days until April 30, according to latest figures - a seven day positivity rate of 319.4 per 100,000 population.
