DUMBARTON and the Vale MSP Jackie Baillie has warned Heath Secretary Shona Robison that she must stop sitting on the fence and tell local people once and for all whether she will block plans to close the birthing unit at the Vale of Leven maternity.

The call came after Shona Robison’s statement to the Scottish Parliament failed to offer clarity on whether the SNP Government will use its Major Service Change powers to protect local health services.

The Minister told MSPs that she will make up her mind in December if she is to demand the final say on cuts at the Vale.

Ms Robison said her decision would be revealed before the health board meeting on Tuesday, December 20.

However, according to Ms Baillie, this did not stop her announcing that she would intervene in the proposals to cut services at the RAH in Paisley by designating the plans to downgrade the children’s ward as a Major Service Change.

This means she will have the power to veto any cuts at the RAH.

Ms Baillie has blasted the SNP Government for what she says is double standards and said that people in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven and Helensburgh deserve the same level of attention from SNP Ministers for the proposals to cut services at the local hospital.

Several SNP figures, including the First Minister and the Health Secretary, dismissed warnings before the election that local NHS services were facing the axe.

Now Jackie is reminding the SNP of the promises made about protecting services at the Vale and told MSPs that she would "like nothing better" than for these promises to be kept.

Ms Baillie said: "The plans to cut maternity services at the Vale of Leven Hospital have been public knowledge since the beginning of the year- even though the SNP tried to deny their existence until after the May elections were out of the way.

"Shona Robison has had months to decide if she wants to use her powers to protect local NHS services at the Vale of Leven Hospital and she needs to stop dithering.

"If the SNP has already made up its mind to intervene in the plans to cut RAH services then why can’t they pledge now to take the final decision on any changes to the Vale maternity?

"If the SNP Government refuses to declare a Major Service Change then the health board can do whatever it wants and the birthing unit will close as sure as night follows day.

"People in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven and Helensburgh should not have to wait until December to find out if the SNP will take action to protect our local hospital.

"It would be completely unacceptable if the SNP Government waited until just before Christmas to bury the bad news when they hope that everyone will be too busy shopping to notice.

"That is what happened last year when the health board announced the closure of ward 6 in late December and we will not let them get away with it again."

Health Secretary Shona Robison responded by saying: "No final decisions have been made about these proposals.

"NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is now engaging with the local communities, staff and other stakeholders so they can carefully consider their views.

"It is important not to pre-judge the proposals as they may change or not be pursued at all.

"The independent Scottish Health Council continues to monitor the engagement activity and will offer a view whether the proposals are major at the end of this, in early December.

"Ministers will then carefully consider the views on designation from both the Health Board and Health Council and come to a decision.

"The Board will then consider the next steps at its meeting on 20th December."

The Health Secretary also went on to defend the government's record in relation to the Vale of Leven Hospital.

She said: "It was this Government that ended a decade of damaging uncertainty by approving the ‘Vision for the Vale’ of Leven Hospital in 2009 and we have been consistently clear that we see a bright future for the hospital.

"Any proposals that do not properly reflect this will not be approved by this Government."