A VALE of Leven Hospital campaigner believes if the Scottish Government doesn’t step in to save maternity services the future of the hospital will be ‘on a cliff edge’, as MSP Jackie Baillie calls for a debate on the issue in parliament.

Jim Moohan, from Hospitalwatch, has written to health secretary Shona Robison to invite her to discuss the future of the essential service at the Alexandria hospital, after a leaked document revealed NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board could shut the unit for good.

“We are on a cliff edge, to be blunt, unless positive thinking comes from the health board and the health secretary on the future of the vale,” Mr Moohan told the Reporter.

“We don’t want lip service, we want positive plans, the next few months will be critical. If there’s more cuts the long-term future of the hospital will be finished.”

As revealed in last week’s Reporter, MSP Jackie Baillie unveiled leaked documents which show the health board wants to transfer all births from the Vale to the RAH in Paisley or the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in the south of Glasgow.

This is a move which, according to Ms Baillie, could mean no more babies born at the Vale.

The closure would leave only ante and post-natal services at the Community Maternity Unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

This final draft of the plan will go before board members at the end of June after which, according to Ms Baillie, the document will go to the Scottish Government for approval.

Hospitalwatch campaigner Mr Moohan, is waiting for a response from the health secretary but also believes someone should have “intervened to prevent cuts from 2014 until now” to stop the health board acting in a “ruthless manner”.

However, when questioned during First Minister’s questions last week Nicola Sturgeon reaffirmed her support for the Vale and promised not to approve any changes that would run contrary to the Vision for the Vale.

And this week, West Dunbartonshire MP Martin Docherty-Hughes has said the “future of maternity services is safe”.

He added: “The First Minister has stated that the Scottish Government, “will not approve proposals that run counter to the vision for the Vale”.

“This reiterates the position as stated by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing during the Holyrood Election Campaign and it is extremely disappointing that our MSP continues to try and spin draft Health Board discussion documents as if they represent policy.”

But Ms Baillie is not stopping, she has launched a bid to persuade MSPs to back calls for a debate in the Scottish Parliament.

She has lodged a parliamentary motion opposing the closure but she needs to secure the support of enough MSPs from different parties to win one of the prized debating slots in the Holyrood chamber. Her motion, titled ‘Save our Services’ says that closing the maternity unit would break the promise in the Vision for the Vale to ‘sustain and promote’ services.

Since the motion was lodged a few days ago it has already won the backing of ten MSPs from two political parties but Jackie also needs the support of the SNP to secure a debate. No SNP MSPs have put their name to the motion yet but Jackie is hopeful that at least one SNP member will join the fight to save local services. If Jackie’s motion is signed by even just one SNP MSP then she will meet the threshold of cross-party support required by the Scottish Parliament to hold a debate on the future of the Vale.