The fight against controversial cost-cutting measures for health and social care in Renfrewshire is set to be taken to the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has pledged to raise the concerns of vulnerable people and their families at Holyrood after attending a public meeting at the Wynd Centre in Paisley on Friday.

The politician joined Neil Bibby MSP and Paisley and Renfrewshire South general election candidate Johanna Baxter in meeting those associated with Mirin and Milldale day centres, Montrose Care Home and Quarriers Renfrewshire head injury service.

Mr Sarwar described the determination of campaigners, who are fighting for the future of their services, as “nothing short of courageous and heroic” in an interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the event.

He said: “They are of course fighting for their own individual family members but they are also fighting for the wider community.

“They should not have to expend that emotional energy and time – which should be spent with their loved ones who they are so worried about – on fighting and having to campaign, sending emails and letters and attending public meetings. It’s just not fair.

“I feel like crying myself looking at some of the tears around the room, but that’s the reality for communities in Renfrewshire and communities across the country.”

Carers have spent months protesting a potential merger of Mirin and Milldale centres for adults with learning disabilities and autism – a proposal which is on the back-burner for now after the integration joint board (IJB), the body responsible for oversight of the health and social care partnership (HSCP), could not agree how to proceed in March.

Helen McAleer, whose daughter Amanda attends Milldale, said at Friday’s meeting: “It’s been managed declined. We’ve all had it.

“We’ve been told with the day centres that this is only the start of the cuts. They want to go to a more community-based service.

“Look at the weather out there today. We are talking about severely disabled people. We don’t live in the Costa del Sol.”

Montrose Care Home in Heriot Avenue, Foxbar, is due to shut down in a bid to save £399,000 after the measure was voted through at the IJB.

Tasha MacLellan, social care worker at the home, said: “The consultation was non-existent. Not one resident has been consulted.

“The staff had a generic email that came out. Some of us have been there for 12 years.

“This is people’s lives. One resident found out about it over the radio.”

Meanwhile, Quarriers Renfrewshire head injury service is set to close in June after Dr Ron Culley, the charity’s CEO, last week said the council and HSCP were unable to continue funding it.

A packed room was told of Labour’s plans to lodge a motion and raise specific questions about the separate services at the Scottish Parliament.

Campaigners were also invited to Holyrood and told letters would be written to the first minister and relevant minister.

The HSCP said earlier this week: “Officers are continuing to work hard to identify areas where we can make proposals for the IJB’s consideration on how it can safely address the current budget gap, reflecting our focus on navigating budget challenges while ensuring we meet the needs of our most vulnerable service users.”