Professor Jason Leitch is to step down as National Clinical Director at the end of April.

Prof Leitch, a former dentist, was a constant presence during the Covid pandemic at briefings with the then first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and regularly appearing on TV and Radio.

Announcing his decision, Prof Leitch said: “The Covid pandemic was an unprecedented challenge for all countries and I am proud of my colleagues inside and outside Government for their incredible work.

“It was a privilege to be able to communicate with the public so directly and be part of that co-ordinated response, and I will forever be grateful for the public’s attention and willingness to follow the guidance - it saved lives.

“I have decided to look for new challenges across health and care after a break, and to spend more time with the charities I work with. I wish colleagues well for the future.”

Humza Yousaf said the professor played a “huge role” during the pandmemic.

He said: “Jason Leitch has made a fantastic contribution to the health of the nation, leading work to reduce hospital acquired infections and improve the quality of care in the NHS.

“The enduring success of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme is testament to his work. He played a huge role in helping me and fellow Ministers navigate the Covid pandemic by providing advice to help reach the best decisions, and by communicating so well with the public. I of course wish him every success in the future.”

Professor Leitch will also leave his post at NHS Tayside, where he is employed on standard NHS Consultant terms.

He has worked for the Scottish Government since 2007 and was appointed as National Clinical Director in the Health and Social Care Directorate in January 2015.

Previously, he was an oral surgery consultant in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. He was awarded a CBE in the 2019 Birthday Honours.

He is also a Board member of two large international charities, the Nazareth Trust which runs a hospital and nursing school in Northern Israel and the Indian Rural Evangelical Fellowship which runs an orphanage, college and nursing school in rural south-east India.