CONTROVERSIAL plans to close the children's ward at the Royal Alexandra Hospital have been approved by Health Secretary Shona Robison.

Families had staged a high-profile campaign in a bid to reverse a decision by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) to transfer inpatient and day case paediatrics from Ward 15 at the RAH to the Royal Hospital for Children, in Glasgow.

Campaigners insist switching services from Paisley will put children at risk.

However, despite meeting with families last year to hear their concerns, Ms Robison has rubber-stamped the closure plans, which leaves staff at Ward 15 facing an uncertain future.

A date for the ward's closure has yet to be confirmed.

The Scottish Government said it has agreed to the move on the strict condition that local community paediatric care provision is "maintained and continually improved."

It added that this will ensure communities continue to access the majority of paediatric services locally, with more serious conditions treated at the RHC, in line with national clinical guidelines.

Ms Robison said: “My priority is to ensure that patient safety is maintained and this will remain at the heart of every decision on redesigning services.

"The paediatric proposals that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have put forward, backed by overwhelming clinical support, have persuaded me that this new model of local paediatric services is in the best interests of children and will ensure that the majority of patient cases will continue to be seen and treated locally.

“I know the service many families have received from Ward 15 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital has been highly valued, which is why I have approved these proposals on two conditions – that the health board must maintain and continue to improve community-based paediatric services and maximise local provision and that they must work directly with families from the Paisley area on specific, individual treatment access plans.

"These provisions will ensure that there is a full understanding of what services and support will be available to local families and from where."

Bosses at NHSGGC welcomed Ms Robison’s decision.

Dr Jennifer Armstrong, the health board's medical director, said: “I am pleased that the clinical case for the transfer of inpatient services from Ward 15 to the Royal Hospital for Children has been accepted and endorsed by the Cabinet Secretary.

“The Royal Hospital for Children is one of the finest paediatric teaching hospitals in the UK and this decision will ensure that children from the Clyde area who require specialist hospital care will be able to receive their care in these state-of-the-art facilities.

“We will now move to implement these changes to our inpatient services, ensuring that we support the families who currently use Ward 15 throughout the transition, including consideration of transport needs.

“Our clinical teams will work with families to ensure they have a clear treatment and access plan that they can benefit from specialist expertise at the Royal Hospital for Children, alongside local Clyde community services.

“We will also engage with the staff who work in the ward and appropriate trade unions, in accordance with the board’s Workforce Change Policy, to match staff into appropriate posts, taking account of their work experience."

Dr Armstrong added: “We already provide a range of community paediatric services for local residents, including the specialist Community Paediatric Service (PANDA),which is based and will remain at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

“We will also work with Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership to consider how local community paediatric care provision can be further improved.”

Councillor John Hood, whose ward covers Johnstone South and Elderslie, said he is "absolutely shocked" by the decision to close Ward 15.

He told The Gazette: "This is going to have a terrible effect on so many families who rely on the ward.

"It's all about the cuts and not the children and families."

Mhairi Black MP said: “Last year, when the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board approved plans to transfer services from Ward 15 I made clear to the Cabinet Secretary that I do not agree with these changes and that my constituents who I have discussed this with do not agree either.

"I am deeply disappointed by the decision announced by Shona Robison today.”