INVERCLYDE'S MSP has issued an impassioned plea to the Scottish Government for immediate action to address the country's escalating liver disease and liver cancer crisis.

Stuart McMillan, co-convener of the cross-party group on drug and alcohol misuse, spoke during a parliamentary debate at Holyrood earlier this week (June 14) to emphasise the urgent need to tackle the pressing 'public health emergency'.

The SNP MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde said: “With liver disease mortality rates in Scotland increasing by 85 per cent in three decades, we cannot afford to overlook the devastating consequences of this public health emergency any longer.

"It is time for Scotland to rise to the occasion, prioritise liver health, and address the root causes and disparities associated with this crisis.

"The cost-of-living crisis is taking a further toll on health inequalities and so governments at all levels must consider how their policies contribute to worsening figures such as these.

"That is why we need concerted action to strengthen prevention and earlier diagnosis of liver disease to turn the tide on this epidemic.”

Mr McMillan added: “Reducing the rate of liver disease among Scotland’s population is not going to happen solely through policies such as minimum unit pricing or taxing unhealthy foods, and we will not prevent more deaths simply by asking people to change their unhealthy habits.

"Those policies have an important role to play, but we also need to improve patient care pathways for the early detection and management of liver disease.”

Scotland is currently grappling with an alarming mortality rate for liver disease, the highest in the UK, with deaths from liver disease surging by almost a fifth between 2019 and 2021.

It now surpasses breast cancer and suicide as a leading cause of premature deaths in Scotland.

Around 90 per cent of liver disease cases are preventable, with alcohol consumption, obesity, and viral hepatitis identified as the primary causes.

However, three-quarters of people with cirrhosis, advanced liver disease, are found when it is too late for any effective treatment or intervention.

Pamela Healy, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: "One in three of us are at risk of liver disease, and the numbers of people being diagnosed have been increasing at an alarming rate.

"Liver damage develops silently, with no signs or symptoms, and individuals often realise they have a problem only when it is too late.

"Although the liver is remarkably resilient, delaying intervention until symptoms appear often results in irreversible damage.

“The Scottish Government and health boards are urged to act decisively and swiftly in response to this liver disease crisis.

"It is imperative that they work together to safeguard the health of the Scottish population and ensure a brighter and healthier future for all.”