BOSSES at NHS Argyll and Clyde are determined to close Ravenscraig Hospital - putting the future of its patients in doubt.

Uncertainty looms over what will happen to the 138 people being treated at the hospital because health bosses have failed to spell out an alternative in the report going before the health board on Monday.

That is sure to worry and anger families in Inverclyde who have loved ones being cared for at Ravenscraig.

Ravenscraig's 58 general psychiatry and 80 dementia patients could now be put out to care in the community - a move criticised by opponents of the plans.

The announcement was made in plans published by NHS Argyll and Clyde yesterday.

The report to the board says: `Mental health services currently provided at Ravenscraig Hospital will be re-provided in the community or other appropriate settings in Inverclyde, and Ravenscraig Hospital will then close.` It goes on to say that no beds or services are to be closed until replacement services are in place.

But it makes no specific recommendations for what those replacement services will be.

Inverclyde Council's head of social services, Tom Keenan, said no formal consultations have been made to his office as to what was to be done with Ravenscraig's patients.

And MSP for the West of Scotland, Ross Finnie, said he found it `staggering` no specific plans had been made for providing care for those patients. Mr Finnie said: `I'm underwhelmed to say the least. It's hugely vague and there's no indication of what is to become of Ravenscraig patients. No assessment appears to have been made of whether the infrastructure exists in the community to care for them.` Greenock Provost Ciano Rebecchi was also sceptical of the board's plans, labelling them `a disgrace`.

He said: `Where are they going to put the patients? There are people in there who cannot come out. They need very specific care, they can't be simply pushed out.

`The 56,000 people who signed the petition opposing the cuts were also objecting to the closure of Ravenscraig, and they are being ignored.

`They had a chance to show us what they were going to do to fix the problems. We all know Ravenscraig needs upgrading. But instead they've just made our problems worse, and everyone's future is made more uncertain.` HUNDREDS of people are expected to turn out to the full board meeting of NHS Argyll and Clyde on Monday.

The public service union Unison is running two full 49-seat coaches to the meeting and turnout is expected to be huge.

The board will be discussing the outcome of the public consultation on the future of health services in Argyll and Clyde.

Earlier this week Provost Ciano Rebecchi urged people to turn out in droves and leave the board in no doubt over Inverclyde's opposition to downgrading the IRH.