The SNP has missed three key health targets “spectacularly” in the last quarter, new figures have shown.

Performance on treating outpatients within 12 and 18 weeks of referral were well short of the standard, while the nationalists’ infamous Treatment Time Guarantee was also way off the mark.

ISD Scotland statistics revealed just 73.5 per cent of new outpatients began treatment within 12 weeks over the previous three months, missing the target of 95 per cent.

And the pledge to ensure 90 per cent of people’s journey through the health system lasts no longer than 18 weeks from referral for care was also missed – with just 79.2 per cent hitting that timeframe.

In addition, while the TTG promise set out by Nicola Sturgeon in 2011 improved slightly, it still saw 27.5 per cent of inpatient and day cases miss out on the legally-binding policy between April and June.

It means so far this year the pledge has been broken 42,911 times.

Shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said the “hat-trick of failures” was another sign the SNP government was letting the NHS down.

He added that both patients and staff were growing increasingly frustrated at repeated missed targets in key areas.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said:

“This hat-trick of failures by the SNP is leaving patients in the lurch.

“The nationalists aren’t even close to hitting these targets, and are lazily hoping that hardworking staff will continue to pick up the pieces.

“The SNP’s continued negligence - spectacularly missing these targets - is running the NHS into the ground and is becoming increasingly unacceptable. Frankly, it is running out of excuses.

“Every month we hear glib assurances from SNP ministers that investment will be made and things will get better.

“But it never happens, and now patients are understandably at their wits’ end.”