Scottish NHS patients are "suffering" after a number of key waiting time targets were missed, the Scottish Conservatives have claimed.

New statistics from NHS Scotland show 84.8% of patients was treated within 18 weeks of being referred for treatment in June, down from 87% in the same month last year.

Health secretary Shona Robison has launched an expert group to find solutions to reduce the number of patients waiting longer than they should have to for NHS treatments following the publication of the statistics.

A total of 15,949 people waited longer than they should have for treatment during June.

Health boards are expected to ensure at least 90% of patients are treated within the time frame.

This national target has not been met since August 2014.

Just five of the country's health boards met the target in June.

The figures also show 81.4% of patients waiting for either inpatient or day treatment were seen within the 12-week waiting time target in the three months to June. This has fallen from 91.3% in the same period last year.

Of those waiting for a key diagnostic test at June 30, a total of 82.9% had been waiting less than six weeks, down from 92.2% in the same month last year.

Furthermore, 74% of patients waiting for a new outpatient appointment at the end of June had been waiting 12 weeks or less, down from 80.7% from March and 85.7% at the same point last year.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said: "It's becoming increasingly difficult to find an NHS target the SNP does consistently hit.

"Its stewardship of the health service has been nothing short of a disgrace, and patients right across the country are suffering as a result.

"This shameful performance from the Nationalists means tens of thousands of patients every month receive a lower standard of care than they're entitled to."

He added: "Month after month the SNP government is criticised for these statistics, yet nothing ever seems to get better.

"The SNP isn't just failing to hit its own targets, it's failing vulnerable people in every part of Scotland."

Robison said: "Today's announcement will build on our earlier injection of funding to reduce waiting lists by providing the expert support to transform scheduled care and put the services on a sustainable footing for the future.

"We are at a crucial transition stage in our reforms of the health service - the much called-for shift in resources to primary, community and social care services is beginning to take effect - but this will take time to deliver better and more appropriate alternatives to acute care.

"However, it is still crucial that patients are seen in a timely manner and all boards have been asked to produce recovery plans for their elective care services."