A TELE interview with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was highlighted in the Scottish Parliament yesterday during a heated debate about threats to health services.

Labour leader Kezia Dugdale brandished a Telegraph front page in the Holyrood chamber as she challenged Nicola Sturgeon during First Minister’s Questions over controversial cuts proposals.

Inverclyde Royal is in the firing line, with its birthing unit facing the axe less than a year after the First Minister told us that services at the hospital weren’t under threat.

Ms Dugdale said: “Before the election, the SNP told people their local health services were safe – even the First Minister did it on the front page of the Greenock Telegraph.”

The Labour leader was referring to our exclusive interview with Ms Sturgeon during a visit to Inverclyde last November, when she said there were no plans to centralise health services out of the area.

The First Minister replied to Ms Dugdale that a process must be gone through before any cuts are made.

The Tele interview with the First Minister was also raised during Wednesday’s Scottish Parliament debate on the future of health services, including the birthing unit at IRH.

Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan has today defended his decision to duck out of a vote over the future of the unit.

Mr McMillan and his 61 SNP colleagues abstained on a Labour motion demanding all of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s £69m cut proposals should be designated as ‘major’ so that the Health Secretary – not just the board – would have the final say on whether or not the unit stays open.

The birthing unit axe plan is currently designated by the board as only a ‘minor’ change.

The Tories, Greens and Liberal Democrats all backed Labour to defeat the Scottish Government, but the vote is not binding on it to ‘call in’ all proposals.

The debate was led by Labour health spokesperson Anas Sarwar MSP, who said: “I hold out the hand of friendship to Stuart McMillan. I say work with us to protect maternity services at Inverclyde Royal Hospital.”

Mr Sarwar quoted the Tele interview with Ms Sturgeon, saying: “No less a person than the First Minister guaranteed that the maternity services at Inverclyde hospital were safe.”

Mr McMillan today accused Labour of treating the health cuts ‘as a political football’.

He said: “The Scottish Government remains committed to robust, evidence-based policy making. Are Labour parliamentarians now seriously demanding the Scottish Government micro-manage every health board decision and override established processes? 

“The Scottish Government will be involved once this initial process has taken place.”

During the debate, Mr McMillan told MSPs that the board has so far not suggested a public meeting on the birthing unit.

He said: “I have asked for a public meeting in Inverclyde so that the birthing unit issues can be fully addressed. Does the cabinet secretary agree that we should do that?”

Health Secretary Shona Robison responded: “I look forward to having as much public engagement as is possible, including public meetings and other ways of engaging. I think that is important.”

West of Scotland Labour MSP Neil Bibby said NHS staff and patients are ‘rightly concerned about plans to cut key local health services, including the RAH children’s ward in Paisley and maternity services at the Inverclyde Royal Hospital’.

He added: “People in Inverclyde will, rightly, expect the SNP government to take responsibility. Let us not forget that the First Minister was on the front page of the Greenock Telegraph promising that ‘there are no plans to centralise services out of Inverclyde’.”

Ms Robison put forward an amendment defending the government’s position, which was defeated by 64 votes to 62.

SNP members then abstained on the final vote, with Mr Sarwar’s motion calling for the changes to be decided by ministers passing by 64 to nil, with 62 abstentions.

Mr Bibby said today the closure of the birthing unit would be a major service change and a major blow to local families

He added: “The Health Secretary must now listen to both the parliament and local people and call in these plans.

“It’s extremely disappointing that local SNP MSPs sat on the fence and refused to stand up for the services their constituents rely on.

“People in Inverclyde will be asking why their local SNP MSP abstained and failed to stand up for them on an issue as fundamental as the local hospital.”