Urgent action must be taken to improve health outcomes, Jackie Baillie has said, as shocking new statistics reveal life expectancy is decreasing in Scotland with West Dunbartonshire recording the second lowest figure in the country.

In 2020-2022, life expectancy in West Dunbartonshire was 73.18 years for males and 78.43 years for females.

This is a sharp decrease of almost a year for males and 20 weeks for females since 2018-2020.

In Argyll and Bute, life expectancy was significantly higher than in West Dunbartonshire at 77.67 years for males and 81.84 for females. However this figure was a reduction for males from 78.01 and for females from 81.57 from 2018-2020.

Jackie Baillie has urged the SNP to take immediate and drastic action to reverse this trend, starting with tackling the cost of living crisis and chaos in Scotland’s NHS.

Jackie Baillie said: “These damning figures lay bare the fact that SNP and Tory incompetence is costing lives.

“Scots are stuck in a twin crises with the cost of living and chaos in our NHS, and it is having a devastating impact on the nation’s health. The picture in West Dunbartonshire is incredibly bleak with Glasgow the only council area in the country reporting a lower life expectancy.

“After 16 years of the SNP and 13 years of the Tories in government, both parties are failing Scots in the areas where it matters most.

“Michael Matheson must take immediate action to ensure that these worrying figures do not become an even more worrying trend. Scottish Labour will deliver the change that Scotland needs to increase life expectancy by investing in primary care, investing in public health measures and ending long wait times.”