Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to step in to prevent the closure of a children's ward in Paisley.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale called on the First Minister to save services at Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH).

Earlier this week, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde board backed moving in-patient care for children from RAH to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

The final decision will be taken by the Scottish Government after consideration by Health Secretary Shona Robison.

During First Minister's Questions at Holyrood, Ms Dugdale said Ms Sturgeon, during a televised pre-election debate last year, had told audience member Gordon Clark - who was present in the public gallery of the Holyrood chamber - there were no proposals to close the ward.

She said: "The ultimate decision to close this ward at the RAH now rests with her government and here is her chance to do the right thing, but I'm not holding my breath given the two local SNP politicians couldn't even be bothered to respond to the public consultation.

"The supposed poster girl of the anti-austerity movement Mhairi Black couldn't be bothered and neither could George Adam.

"The SNP MSP for Paisley found the time to oppose the closure of a local McDonald's but not a children's ward in his own constituency."

Ms Dugdale said maternity units at the Vale of Leven Hospital and Inverclyde Royal Hospital were also "under threat" and highlighted government plans to remove intensive care cots from neonatal units across Scotland.

"Because of the SNP's failure to properly staff our NHS, children's health services are in crisis," she said.

Ms Sturgeon said the accusation was "absolutely and utterly disgraceful", pointing out the proposals for both hospitals were being reconsidered by the health board.

She added: "What we have is an expert-led report setting out what we need to do to enhance a small number of neo-natal units to make them specialist enough to care for the sickest babies in our country and yet Kezia Dugdale is somehow suggesting that as First Minister and as Health Secretary we should ignore the opinions of those experts."

On the RAH, she said there had been no such proposal at the time she had been asked the question by Mr Clark while the local SNP politicians had contacted the health secretary to make representations.

She said: "This is an important issue.

"I'm not prejudging the Scottish Government's view of this, because we now have to go through a formal process of our own, but this is a proposal in the context of there being a new children's hospital in the south of Glasgow just a few miles away from the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

"This proposal, and this is something that Labour called for so I would think they might welcome it, has been designated major service change.

"What that means is that it now comes to the Scottish Government, to the health secretary, for proper consideration and for decision.

"The health secretary will listen not just to the views of the health board, the health secretary will listen to the views of patients and we will come to a decision that is in the interest of patients."