LABOUR leader Kezia Dugdale will be in Greenock tomorrow to join campaigners battling to save Inverclyde Royal Hospital’s birthing unit.

She has told the Tele it is part of a fight to preserve the entire hospital and the sustainability of the community it serves.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are determined to axe the unit – less than a year after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the Tele that services at the hospital weren’t under threat. 

Ms Dugdale, inset, highlighted the birthing unit campaign in the Scottish Parliament last month, when, during a heated debate about threats to health services, she brandished the Tele front page interview with the First Minister.

Today Ms Dugdale called on the people of Inverclyde to join her at a street stall to sign a petition demanding that the Scottish Government ‘call in’ the closure plan so that ministers make the final decision, rather than the health board.

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

This would have to be changed to ‘major’ to allow the government to make the final decision.

Ms Dugdale said: “It’s important everyone unites to save the unit and stop any other cuts at Inverclyde Royal, for this is a much wider debate than only about the birthing unit. It’s about the sustainability of the hospital and the whole community.

“A hospital with all the services provided by Inverclyde Royal is needed so that people will continue to live in Inverclyde and be encouraged to move there.

“Our candidate in this year’s Scottish Parliament elections, Siobhan McCready, was accused of scaremongering by the SNP when she raised the fears of hospital staff about the future of the unit and the hospital, but now we can see that there is, indeed, a threat to services.

“It’s absolutely essential that the government calls in the health board proposal for the unit. This must be a decision taken by elected politicians and not just the health board.

“And, if it is called in, the Scottish Government will have to keep the promise Nicola Sturgeon made to the people of Inverclyde through the Greenock Telegraph.

“I highlighted the Telegraph story in parliament because Nicola Sturgeon visited the Inverclyde community last November and insisted there would be no threats to hospital services. A lot of people might have voted SNP in this year’s elections because of that pledge, so she must keep her promise.”

Ms Dugdale added: “I hope many people from across the community will visit the street stall tomorrow to support this campaign. We must all stand up for hospital services.”

The birthing unit petition has been signed so far by 1,700 people.

It will be available tomorrow from 10am to 2pm at a street stall near the Oak Mall at West Blackhall Street, and can also be signed online at http://bit.ly/2dhg3ax