An influential Holyrood committee has questioned if the waiting time target for hospital accident and emergency (A&E) units in Scotland is achievable.
In April 2008, ministers said that 98% of all patients should be seen within four hours.
Five years later, the Scottish Government introduced an interim target of 95% for patients being seen within four hours as a stepping stone towards the higher figure.
Earlier this year, Auditor General for Scotland (AGS) Caroline Gardner published a report that showed a number of boards would find it hard meet the lower target.
Data for the year up to September put performance at 93.4%, the same as when the target was introduced.
Health boards covering Grampian, Highland, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles all achieved the 95% target.
The Scottish Parliament’s public audit committee has asked ministers to consider whether the 98% target is appropriate and even achievable, given comments that some patients may wait in A&E longer than four hours for clinical reasons.
Convener Hugh Henry said: “To have five of the 14 health boards failing to meet the interim target of 95% on time is disappointing to say the least, especially when only three NHS boards are meeting the 98% standard set by the Scottish Government.
“However, there is always a clinical need to balance speed of care with quality of care and we agree with the AGS that waiting times for an A&E department can be an important indicator of pressure on the health system as a whole.
“Against this back drop, and with the majority of boards failing to meet the set standard, we question whether that standard remains reasonable or achievable.”
The committee report published today welcomes the £27million provided over three years in February 2013 to improve the situation.
It outlines a step change in activity and service redesign by health boards it thinks will be necessary to achieve the 95% target.
A Scottish Government spokesman said £10million has been set aside for health boards through the winter.
He said: “Although we are far from complacent and are facing up to the challenges, the latest figures show that Scotland’s A&E sites outperformed those in the rest of the UK, as well as those in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
“However we recognise there is much work still to be done to ensure that everyone attending A&E gets the right care, from the right person, within the waiting time target that we set.”