MORE than 7,300 patients languished for over a day in Scotland’s accident & emergency departments waiting for treatment last year.

Public Health Scotland statistics passed to Scottish Labour via freedom of information show that there were waits of more than 24 hours in nine out of the country’s 14 health board areas  amounting to a staggering 7,367 in total.

Only Western Isles, Tayside, Shetland, Orkney and Lothian health boards recorded no waits of over a day.

Waits of more than 72 hours were recorded in NHS Lanarkshire, 88 hours in NHS Borders, and one patient was forced to endure a shocking 122 hours — over five days — in A&E at Ayrshire’s Crosshouse Hospital.

The figures show little sign of relief in the new year, with five boards recording waits of more than 24 hours in January, the longest waits being 100 hours at NHS Highland and 60 hours at NHS Lanarkshire.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “That some people have waited days, even a working week, to be seen is dangerous and disgraceful.

“Hard-pressed A&E staff are working tirelessly to look after patients, but SNP mismanagement has created a perfect storm in our hospitals.

“It’s time for action to be taken now to bolster A&E departments by tackling delayed discharges and investing in primary care to avoid putting further pressure on hospital services.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “We know that long delays remain too high and we continue to work with boards to reduce these instances, which are not unique to Scotland.”