Jackie Baillie has branded Scotland’s record health inequalities a “national scandal” and called on new First Minister Humza Yousaf to make tackling the issue a priority.

A new Scottish Government report on Health Inequalities has found that on a number of indicators health inequalities are at their worst point on record.

For healthy life expectancy, premature mortality, coronary heart disease deaths, and cancer incidence the gap in outcomes between the best and worst off is at its largest point since the time series began in 1997.

On other measures the gap remains stubbornly large, with little or no progress being made.

West Dunbartonshire remains an area of multiple deprivation and is impacted by some of the worst statistics.

Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton constituency MSP and Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson, said: “Scotland’s health inequalities are nothing short of a national scandal and people in the most deprived communities, some of which are in my Dumbarton constituency are worst affected.

“This is the result of years of failure under the SNP, with yet more shameful records being set on their watch.

“The most deprived communities in Scotland are paying the harshest price for the chaos the SNP’s disastrous mismanagement of our NHS. This is all happening while the government’s own targets for A&E waits are not being met locally.

“These inequalities are costing lives and new First Minister Humza Yousaf must make it a priority to tackle this.”