'Significant' health outcomes gap still exists in Scotland

There is a significant gap in health outcomes between the most and least deprived areas of Scotland, a Scottish government Health and Social care report has revealed.

In relation to factors such as birthweight, long-term conditions, cancer and alcohol related illnesses, the report demonstrated that with the exception of the healthy birthweight indicator, there are ‘significant’ inequalities within each category covered in the report.

Although there has been some improvement in recent years, data shows that the rate of premature death – before the age of 75 – was as much as four times higher in deprived areas.

Meanwhile the gap between the rate of death from cancer, heart disease and alcohol abuse continues to grow.

While the gap in mental wellbeing has started to close, residents of deprived areas continue to be three times more likely to suffer from poor mental wellbeing than those in affluent areas.

"These statistics should leave us in absolutely no doubt that stark and unacceptable health inequalities persist across Scotland," said Lewis Morrison, chairman of BMA Scotland.

"The significantly worse health of those who live in our most deprived areas compared to the substantially better outcomes for those who live in the least 

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