Waiting times at NHS Grampian made a small improvement but the board is still one of the worse performing in Scotland.
Official figures show that 84.9% of patients in December were seen within the 18-week target from referral, marginally ahead of the NHS Ayrshire which managed just 82.8%.
The north-east board’s performance was slightly up on November 2014 when 83.6% were treated within the target, but still down on December 2013 when 89.7% were treated on time.
North-east Labour MSP Richard Baker called on Health Secretary Shona Robison to apologise the continued failure of the board to meet the official 90% target.
“The cabinet secretary needs to understand the critical nature of the position and realise that the 18-week target is meant to be a maximum,” he said.
“The figures clearly show that in December 938 patients from the Grampian region were outside that target and that is simply not good enough.
“The word ‘guarantee’ obviously has a very different meaning to the SNP than the general public and the situation in Grampian – despite the huge dedication and skill of doctors, nurses and support staff appears to be stuck in a mire of under-investment and malaise.”
An NHS Grampian spokeswoman said: “More than 17,000 patients received their treatment within 18 weeks in the last three months of 2014. However, we are disappointed at falling short of the 90% target. We are fully committed to this standard and we continue to work hard to meet and exceed it.”
NHS Grampian was one of five boards to miss the 18-week target. Across Scotland 89.2% of patients were seen on time in December, down from 88.4% in November. The official figures did not include data from NHS Highland.
In addition, a 12-week guarantee for patients due for planned inpatient or day treatment was met for 97.1% of people in October-December.
Ms Robison said: “Health boards across Scotland continue to deliver some of the lowest waiting times on record.
“This performance was maintained as we headed into the challenging winter period last year, but we know we must do more to meet some of the rightly demanding targets we have set. Patients would expect nothing less.”