The number of complaints received directly by NHS territorial and special boards also rose by 3 per cent, from 23,876 to 24,531, while the proportion of complaints upheld at Stage One increased by two percentage points to 39 per cent.
The publication of the complaints data comes as separate weekly statistics show mounting pressure on emergency care. In the week ending 11 January, only 59.2 per cent of patients attending A&E were seen within the four-hour target.
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During the same week, 4,874 people, 19 per cent of attendances, waited more than eight hours to be seen, while 2,727 patients, or 10.6 per cent, waited more than 12 hours. It was the second worst week on record for both eight-hour and 12-hour waits.
Historical comparisons show that only the week ending 1 January 2023 recorded worse performance, when 21.1 per cent of patients waited more than eight hours and 11.1 per cent waited more than 12 hours.
Responding to the figures, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said A&E waiting times remained among the worst ever recorded.
He said: “Despite all the spin from the SNP, we are still seeing some of the worst waiting times at A&E of all time. When the SNP came to power, half-day waits were a rarity – they’re now happening to thousands of people every single week.”
Mr Cole-Hamilton said delayed discharges were contributing to overcrowding in emergency departments, citing cases where patients remain in hospital long after being deemed fit for discharge due to the lack of social care packages.
“A&E departments are backed up because there are so many people stuck in hospital and unable to leave because the care package they need is not available,” he said. “You cannot fix the NHS and bring down A&E waits without fixing social care.”
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said the A&E figures showed a system under severe strain.
“After years of warm words from the SNP, the number of people facing dangerously long waits in A&E is close to record levels.
“Chaos is running rampant in our hospitals despite the tireless efforts of fantastic NHS staff, but the SNP has no answers.
“Patients’ lives are being put at risk by the dangerous incompetence of this SNP government.
“The SNP has had its chance and it has failed – but Scottish Labour will step up and protect our NHS so Scots can get the urgent care they need.”
Commenting on the complaints figures, Ms Baillie said: “These figures are a damning reflection of the SNP’s mismanagement of our NHS.
“Services and staff are at breaking point due to a woeful lack of leadership from this SNP government, and patients are paying the price.
“The SNP cannot be trusted with our NHS – but Scottish Labour is ready to step up and make our NHS fit for the future so patients get the standard of care they deserve.”
The Scottish Conservatives said the figures showed the NHS was in “meltdown”.
Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Sandesh Gulhane said: “These atrocious figures show an NHS in meltdown after nearly two decades of SNP mismanagement.
“John Swinney is living on a different planet if he thinks Scotland’s health service is on the mend, when the number of Scots waiting over 12 hours for treatment in our A&E departments is double the average for last year.”
On the increase of NHS complaints, Dr Gulhane said this was “further proof” that the NHS is “in crisis mode under the SNP”.
He added: “My frontline colleagues are working tirelessly to support their patients, but nationalist ministers have left them dangerous under-resourced and overstretched.
“This is resulting in tragic but unavoidable mistakes. Staff are not miracle workers and need to stop being asked to do their jobs without the resources required.
“Neil Gray should show some common sense and adopt our plans to cut bureaucracy, reduce the number of middle managers and divert resources to the frontline to support staff.”
Scottish Government procedure outlines the NHS seek to resolve complaints at Stage 1 within five working days. It also notes that complaints that are escalated for investigation at Stage 2 should be responded to within 20 working days.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The NHS provides excellent care for the vast majority of patients but on the occasions where it does fall short of expectations, Boards and healthcare providers must listen and act.
“We expect openness and transparency in our NHS and we welcome all forms of feedback to inform continuous learning and improvement.
“Complaints should be dealt with effectively and NHS Boards must continue to work to ensure they meet agreed timescales for resolution.
“We have allocated almost £22.5 billion to Health and Social Care this year, including a record £17.6 billion for NHS services and resources.
“Our continued investment in the NHS is seeing long waits coming down, backlogs reducing, and people getting the appointments and treatments they need as quickly as possible.”