HEALTH chiefs are set to axe Inverclyde Royal Hospital’s maternity unit — and a children’s ward used by poorly youngsters from the district, the Telegraph can reveal.

A ‘bombshell’ confidential document which contains the worrying twin-pronged hit list includes a vow to bulldoze through previous ‘blocks’ to the closures.

The dossier — leaked to the Telegraph by a concerned NHS whistleblower — states that health board bosses will ‘move without further delay’ to shut both units.

Labour Scottish Parliament candidate Siobhan McCready today slammed the proposals as part of an SNP ‘centralisation agenda’ while her nationalist rival Stuart McMillan refused to comment directly on the double closure threat.

The draft report — which is marked ‘not for onward circulation’ — also seeks to ‘review transfer of trauma from IRH’ and ‘review provision of physical disability at Larkfield Unit’.

Labour’s Mrs McCready declared: “Make no mistake, this confidential document is a bombshell clearly showing that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde intends to move forward with transfer of the community maternity unit with immediate effect.

“This illustrates the very real pressures the board is under, struggling to meet increased demand while budgets are slashed by £70 million.”

The children’s ward at Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital, where Inverclyde youngsters receive treatment, is under threat along with the maternity unit.

It appears likely that the closures will take place within 12 months as the secret document — dated November 2015 — is part of the health board’s 2016/17 ‘financial projections and planning process’.  

Bosses are seeking to ‘plan the delivery of clinically appropriate service changes’, the report states.

Mrs McCready said: “It highlights the SNP’s centralisation agenda, forcing patients and their families to travel outwith this area for health services. It also impacts on the number of people working directly in these services.

“Will remaining staff be expected to travel to Glasgow? What does this mean for this area and one of our biggest employers?

“I have been accused of scaremongering, parochialism and worse for trying to raise the issues. Their ‘spin’ has now been exposed, and I will be demanding an absolute and clear apology from those people who dismissed my concerns.

“It shows either complete naivety or complicity in keeping this under wraps until after the election. Discussions of this nature should not be held behind closed doors.”

In an open attack on SNP man Mr McMillan, Mrs McCready stated: “Why does someone who’s been an MSP for nine years appear not to know that a clinical review is under way affecting his local hospital? Why is he not raising concerns as I am? Why is he not prioritising the retention of local services?

“I have complete confidence that community representatives on the board will be raising serious concerns, but ultimately it is Scottish Government Ministers who take decisions.

“Will he finally act and give an absolute guarantee that, should he be elected next week, he will ensure a 24 hour consultant-led accident and emergency unit will remain at IRH?”

Mr McMillan — who branded the leaking of the confidential document as ‘irresponsible’ — said: “This draft discussion document was published in November 2015.

"It now appears to be re-circulated prior to next week’s election. NHSGGC has stated that the draft discussion paper is not a definite proposal, let alone an approved plan that the health board plans to implement.

"The paper was written prior to the Scottish Government’s budget being put forward in December, when a substantial increase in NHS funding was announced.

“Since this paper was written, a further increase was announced in the budget that will give the health board a record budget of £2.07 billion.

“The SNP Government have already substantially increased funding for all health boards, with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s budget increasing by 27.2 per cent under this Government.”

In a further general comment, Mr McMillan said: “The SNP will put almost £2bn of additional spending into expanding community services by the end of the parliament, boosting cancer services, supporting health and social care, increasing specialist, GP and nursing staff and building five new treatment centres across the country.”

He added: “The irresponsible nature of leaking a draft discussion document is not helpful to anyone let alone the morale of the staff. Furthermore, it only causes a situation where people may choose to go elsewhere for a service if they believe services are to be scrapped.”  

The community maternity unit was threatened with closure several years ago, and then, after a campaign to save it, downgraded by removing consultants.
NHSGGC also refused to comment directly on the closure threats.

In a statement the health board said it is ‘working through a well-established planning process to develop and improve patient services while living within the resources available’.