Patients faced the worst waiting times on record at A&E wards in Scottish hospitals last week.
Figures published by the NHS today found that 1,153 people were left waiting more than 12 hours before they were finally seen by a nurse or doctor.
The Scottish Government target is for 95 per cent of patients to wait no longer than four hours from arrival to admission, discharge or transfer for A&E treatment.
But in the week ending on July 3, just 64.9 per cent of people were seen within the four window window.
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Opposition parties warned the NHS was in an ever-deepening crisis and accused SNP ministers of being "distracted" by their campaign for independence.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour health spokeswoman, said: "Not only are A&E services still in disarray but the crisis is deepening.
"Today’s statistics are yet another worst ever weekly performance for our A&E departments.
"Long waits in A&E used to be a sign that there were problems and pressures elsewhere in the NHS system, but the SNP have ignored the warnings and now our NHS is in perpetual crisis with thousands of lives being put in risk at A&E departments on a weekly basis.
"While frontline NHS staff work tirelessly around the clock, Humza Yousaf has completely failed to make any meaningful attempt to address the underlying problems or control this crisis.
"Make no mistake – lives are being risked due to the incompetence of Humza Yousaf.
"This distracted SNP government is putting lives at risk and threatening the very existence of our NHS.”
Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Lib Dem leader, said: "Waiting times in our A&E departments have reached another record low once again. Week after week we are seeing NHS patients and staff in need of new hope, but little significant action from this SNP-Green Government to provide it.
"Yet despite this ever-deepening crisis this SNP-Green have decided now is the time to shift focus to an unwanted independence referendum.
"Patients deserve to be seen for treatment quickly and close to home, and staff shouldn’t be constantly overwhelmed, but after 15 years of SNP mismanagement that seems less likely than ever.
"The Health Secretary must finally move his focus back to the A&E crisis and listen to Scottish Liberal Democrat calls for a staff burnout prevention strategy and a Health and Social Care Staff Assembly.
"We need to stop experienced staff streaming for the exit and listen to their recommendations for how to resolve this crisis."
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: "These statistics relate to the peak of the current wave we are experiencing.
"In the four weeks leading up to Sunday, July 3, there was an over 100 per cent increase in Covid-related staff absences.
"This coming at a time when we have increased numbers of staff on well-deserved leave during school holidays.
"Over the last two years our NHS has suffered the biggest shock of its 74 year existence, despite this, Scotland continues to have the best performing A&Es in the UK, outperforming those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for over six years.
"The number of Covid inpatients in hospital is rising, and is currently projected to be among the highest we have seen, which is resulting in reduced capacity in our hospitals and staff absences, and having a detrimental impact on delays in A&E, as shown by today’s figures.
"Despite these pressures, nearly two-thirds of patients are being seen in our A&E departments within the four-hour target."
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