The SNP has criticised the long delays for treatment in some Scottish hospital accident and emergency wards.

Nationalist deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon on Thursday highlighted figures showing that a patient in the first minister's constituency had to wait almost 20 hours to be treated at an A&E department.

She added that hospitals in the constituencies of Jack McConnell and health minister Andy Kerr are the worst performing in the whole of Scotland.

NHS Scotland figures show that Hairmyres Hospital in Kerr's constituency had an A&E median waiting time of 145 minutes in 2005.

And Wishaw General Hospital in the first minister's constituency had a median waiting time of 148 minutes, with one patient left waiting for 1,184 minutes.

Scottish ministers say they are on course to meet a maximum waiting time guarantee of four hours by the end of next year.

And Sturgeon said it was "important that we recognise the hard work carried out by NHS staff throughout Scotland".

But she added that "it is distressing that any patient should have to go to an A&E department in the first place never mind having to wait nearly 20 hours to be treated, as was the case at Wishaw General Hospital".

"It is clear that Jack McConnell should now devote more time and effort to what is happening in his own back yard," said the SNP's Holyrood leader.

"These A&E figures are particularly embarrassing for the first minister and health minister as they reveal that hospitals in their constituencies are the worst performing general hospitals in the whole of Scotland.

"This is a record of failure for which both men are directly responsible.

"Both Andy Kerr and Jack McConnell must now take clear and decisive action to ensure that patients attending A&E departments are treated as quickly and efficiently as possible."