Humza Yousaf's record as health secretary has been branded "catastrophic" after it was revealed that one in seven Scots were on NHS waiting lists when he left the job.
Official figures show that 779,533 people in Scotland were waiting on a procedure or operation at the end of March.
Yousaf stepped down from the health brief after he was officially sworn in as First Minister on March 29 after winning the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon.
The number of Scots waiting for NHS treatment is the highest on record and an increase of 175,890 compared to mid-2021, shortly after the now SNP leader replaced Jeane Freeman as health secretary.
The NHS is still recovering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which Labour called a "national emergency".
Yousaf appointed Michael Matheson as the new health secretary shortly after he took on the top job in March.
Jackie Baillie, Labour's health spokeswoman, said: "It should worry us all that the First Minister left behind such a catastrophic legacy as Health Secretary.
"Despite the tireless efforts of NHS staff, record numbers of Scots are stuck languishing on NHS waiting lists and thousands have been left anxious and in pain for over a year.
"Blame for this national emergency lies squarely with Humza Yousaf and his failed NHS recovery plan, which saw waiting lists spiral after the pandemic.
"Michael Matheson must fix the mess he inherited and deliver a real plan to help our NHS recover from the damage inflicted first by the pandemic and then by his predecessor."
Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Lib Dem leader, said: "All signs point to an NHS writhing in crisis, yet there is no sign of this SNP/Green government doing anything to resolve it.
"The Cabinet Secretary must be decisive and act now before things get any worse in the winter. Anything less is an insult to doctors, nurses and patients waiting in pain.
"We have repeatedly called for a burnout prevention strategy and a staff and social care assembly, but these have been ignored time and time again. We can only hope Michael Matheson does not take the same reckless approach as his predecessor."
Some 479,725 people in Scotland were waiting for an outpatient appointment on March 31, a rise of 14.5 per cent on the same date last year.
Since March 2020 – the beginning of lockdowns in response to the pandemic in the UK – the waiting list has grown by 87 per cent.
A Scottish Government target aims to ensure 95 per cent of patients are seen within 12 weeks.
Of those waits, 31,498 people had been waiting longer than one year for their procedure, the figures show.
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here .
