Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has announced a set of “ambitious” targets in a bid to tackle NHS waiting times – including a pledge to end waits of two years or more for some patients within weeks.

It was revealed last year that almost 60 per cent of all Scottish emergency hospital waiting times of more than 12 hours over one month were in Ayrshire.

And in April this year it was revealed that each week, 275 people in Ayrshire and Arran – almost one in four – were left waiting for longer than eight hours to be seen, while 189 waited for longer than 12 hours.

The Scottish Government is seeking to end two-year waits for outpatient appointments in most specialities by the end of August.

It also hopes to eliminate waits of two years or more for inpatient or day case treatment in most specialities by the end of September.

NHS statistics show that at the end of March this year, 10,613 people had been waiting two years or more for help in hospital, either as an inpatient or on a day treatment basis.

Further figures from Public Health Scotland show at that time there were 2,831 patients who had been waiting 104 weeks or longer for an outpatient appointment.

Mr Yousaf said NHS waiting times had “grown as a result of the pandemic”.

He added this is “why we now need to focus on treating these people that are waiting too long for treatment”.

Speaking after a visit to Perth Royal Infirmary, he said the new targets are “some of the most ambitious” in the UK.

These also include seeing all those who have been waiting 18 months for an outpatient appointment in most specialities by the end of December.

In addition, by the end of March 2023 it is hoped NHS staff will have seen those waiting a year or more for an outpatient appointment in most specialities.

For those waiting 18 months or more for treatment – either as an inpatient or on a day case basis – they should be seen by the end of September 2023

It is then hoped that those who have been waiting a year or more will be seen by the end of September 2024.

Mr Yousaf said: “From speaking to patients and clinicians across the country, I know there is a physical and mental consequence in having to wait a long period to be treated, that is why addressing long waits is a key focus of our plans for NHS recovery.”

Funding for the new drive to cut waiting times will come from the £1 billion allocated for the NHS under Covid Recovery Plan.