HUMAN rights activists have condemned a lack of action over the welfare of the gypsy and traveller community in Scotland as an official report said they had "by far the worst health" of any ethnic group.

Urgent government action has been pledged to address health problems amongst the gypsy and traveller communities in Scotland as a result of the analysis, but human rights activists say issues should have been tackled sooner.

The Scottish Government has said it is putting together a plan to try and support the community.

Gypsies and travellers have a long history in Scotland going back to the 12th century and are committed to a nomadic or travelling lifestyle as a key part of their ethnic and cultural identity.

According to the 2011 Census there were 4,200 people describing themselves as gypsies or travellers in Scotland. However comparison with school census data and reports from gypsy and traveller projects suggest that the actual number could be as many as 20,000, equivalent to a town the size of Bathgate or Arbroath.

According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) people in the community are reported as not disclosing their ethnicity for fear of discrimination or harassment.

Some travel all year round, while others have a permanent base on a site or in housing but may still be on the move for part of the year.

But government officials are aware that gaining access to health, education and social services, as well as employment, can be difficult for them.

And a new government report analysing 2011 census health data reveals that gypsies and travellers report twice the 'white Scottish' rate for 'health problems or disability' and over three-and-a-half times the rate for 'poor general health'.

The report concluded: "The very stark results for gypsy/traveller communities indicate that significant action is urgently required to address their health inequalities."

The issues are expected to be addressed in the Gypsy/Traveller Strategy and Action Plan which the Scottish Government is due to publish next year.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which has estimated that in Britain life expectancy for gypsies and travellers is 10 years lower than the national average, said it was concerned by the findings.

An EHRC spokesman said: "Gypsy travellers have repeatedly reported low levels of access to NHS services – being refused access to GP services because they don’t have a local address or not being routinely screened for common conditions in the way that settled people are. Many rely on A&E for basic primary health care.

"A major factor is the lack appropriate site provision by local government. One consequence of being moved on from temporary sites, often at short notice, is that it leads to interrupted and disjointed health care. Adequate site provision could make a major impact on access and therefore health more generally.

"All of this was recognised in the Parliament's report on gypsy traveller health in 2012 but we are still waiting for a clear plan from the NHS on how they will respond. We don’t know the full reasons for such poor health outcomes and what is really needed is a comprehensive study or health needs assessment which looks at all of the factors at play and directs resources to help what looks like a community in crisis."

EHRC said in January that many parts of Scotland still have no provision for gypsies and travellers. Glasgow, Moray, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde all reported having no local authority or private sites in 2014.

EHRC say that by contrast 30 per cent of all pitches in Scotland were in South Lanarkshire (216 out of 743) and another 26 per cent in Fife (195 out of 743).

Naomi McAuliffe, Amnesty International's Scotland programme director, said: "Since our 2012 report which focused on inadequate and, in many cases, squalid living conditions Scottish gypsy travellers faced, the pace of reform on local authority housing provision for the community has been slow.

"Despite the fact site residents pay rent and council tax, a number of local authority designated traveller sites remain poorly serviced, lack proper sanitation, and waste disposal facilities.

"Considering these circumstances, Scottish gypsy travellers remain a high-risk group, as the impact sub-standard housing has on health and wellbeing cannot be overstated."

In October, last year, the British/Irish Parliamentary Assembly (Bipa) found GPs had closed their books to travellers in Scotland and expectant mothers had been unable to access maternity services in emergencies.

The Bipa report warned that "inequality of access and outcomes and patchy provision is unacceptable and must be addressed".