HEALTH bosses yesterday decided to press ahead with plans to end all births at Inverclyde Royal Hospital.

At a board meeting of NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, it was agreed that a public consultation would be launched on the proposal to close the birthing suite and switch all deliveries to Paisley or Glasgow.

The plan – only revealed earlier this year when secret documents were leaked to the Tele – has sparked anger from politicians, members of the public and campaigners alike, and local MSP Stuart McMillan has publicly vowed to oppose any cuts to the hospital.

Now patients, community representatives and activists will have an opportunity to give their views.

Some members of the public have already expressed fears that the consultation will be a sham, but the board insists it wants to listen and is planning to hold ‘workshops and other public events’.

Under the cost-cutting changes – brought forward to help plug a £70m funding gap – the children’s ward at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, which currently deals with many patients from Inverclyde, will also be affected.

The board wants to move emergency, elective in-patient and day case care away from there to the new Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

Bosses also say that the maternity unit at IRH would not completely shut under their proposals.

They are proposing to ‘retain all ante-natal and postnatal services’ at the unit – but want birthing facilities to ‘cease to operate’ under their blueprint.

John Brown, health board chairman, said: “There has been already significant interest in the proposal and it is only right that the public have an opportunity to hear the clinical case for change and to have their views heard.

“We want to ensure that all affected, including those who have campaigned against change, are able to become fully involved in this process of service modernisation.

“Our services are continually evolving and improving.

“Whilst the proposals do signal change, it is important to stress that in each instance we are planning to retain local services within local communities.

“With the paediatric ward and the community maternity units, outpatient services would remain on site.”

The consultation is due to begin in early September.