INVERCLYDE'S leading councillor on health is spearheading a campaign for a new medical centre in his home town of Port Glasgow — and has declared it his 'number one' priority.

Robert Moran — who chairs the council's health and social care committee — has set up a face-to-face meeting with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde's top official to press the case for replacing the current 43-year-old Bay Street building.

Councillor Moran told the Telegraph that the Port should be treated no differently to Greenock, which has recently seen the opening of its new £22m state-of-the-art health centre at the former Inverclyde Academy site.

He pointed out that Greenock's former ageing health centre on Duncan Street — built around the same time as the Port's 1978 facility — had been described as being 'at the end of its useful life in terms of suitability for service provision'.

Councillor Moran — who will meet health board chief executive Jane Grant over the issue — said: "If that is the case then Port Glasgow Health Centre must fall into this same description.

"My constituents and all the people of Port Glasgow deserve the best in health care that we can provide."

Councillor Moran — who has received strong community backing for his priority project — has also identified a potential funding stream to cover the cost of a new health centre.

He says that Crown Estate Scotland's intention, on behalf of the Scottish Government, to auction off a number of sites for offshore power developments could pay for the project.

It is estimated that the sale of the plots would land Scotland a windfall of more than £800m.

Councillor Moran said: "I want Inverclyde to be first in line to benefit from these additional monies."

Anne Ross, chair of Port Glasgow West Community Council, said: "We are pleased to support Councillor Moran in his plans to replace the Port Glasgow Health Centre with a new, more fit for purpose, unit.

"My fear is that it's running along sort of the same lines as the dismantling of the hospital, and that will never do in Port Glasgow.

"We're extremely concerned that Port Glasgow is going to be downgraded.

"It's the patients who should come first and foremost here.

"People in Port Glasgow need that health centre just as the whole of Inverclyde needs our hospital.

"Despite Councillor Moran's sometime affable approach to some situations, in nearly two decades of witnessing his advocacy and dedication to all things related to health and social care, and in particular Inverclyde Royal Hospital, he has a thorough understanding and knowledge of all problems related to these matters in Port Glasgow and Inverclyde."

Community council secretary Tommy Rodger added: "Look at what we've got — it's got a flat roof, water drips in and you've got buckets in the different surgeries catching it.

"If we've got tourists, visitors coming through the train station the first thing they see coming out at the top of John Wood Street is that dirty, stained building.

"Thank God they've not got to go into it the way we have to as patients."

Councillor Moran said: "As Covid clears we've got a clear strategy ahead and that is to fight our corner here to get something better than what's in place at the moment."

"I'm meeting Jane Grant and I'm going to put this to her.

"She has agreed to meet me one-to-one and this is top of the list.

"The number one item on my agenda is what's happening to Port Glasgow Health Centre.

"We need an answer."