Closure of children's ward branded SNP Government's 'Nick Clegg moment'

It comes despite First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisting there were “no proposals to close that particular ward” during a TV debate in 2016, in which she added: “I believe in local services with access for local people.”

Critics insisted the closure was a “betrayal” of local people, with Conservative MSP Miles Briggs questioning whether Ms Sturgeon has attempted to “mislead the public before an election”.

He added: “I believe that today will go down as Nicola Sturgeon's and the Health Secretary’s Nick Clegg moment in this parliament.”

As Liberal Democrat leader, Mr Clegg infamously broke his pledge not to hike university tuition fees when he entered into a coalition government with the Conservatives in 2010.

During a fiery Holyrood debate, Ms Robison said she had given “long and hard consideration” to the decision to close the ward, which she said was “one of the most difficult” she had been required to make.

But she insisted NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s plan – which she approved – was based on clinical advice and was in the best interests of patients.

She said: "I have carefully considered all of the information available to me, and all of the representations made to me including the board's submissions, advice and evidence provided by officials and expert clinical advice.

"The board has made a compelling case for these proposals which have attracted overwhelming clinical support."

Mr Briggs said the First Minister had told voters there were no plans to close the ward in May 2016, just before the Holyrood elections, but ministers were now "breaking a key election pledge made to families across the west of Scotland".

He said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had initially begun looking at proposals to move the ward in 2011, while the closure of the ward to inpatients had been the board’s preferred option since 2012.

He said: "It's more evidence that the SNP simply can't be trusted when it comes to maintaining children's hospital facilities.”

Scottish Labour raised the case of Karen Meikle, who told the Paisley Daily Express the decision to move the children’s ward risked killing her seriously-ill son.

Karen, 31, said the costs of travelling to the Sick Kids hospital in Glasgow would be “massive”, leaving her eight-year-old son Alex – who has cerebral palsy – to lose out on care.

Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said MSPs had been called “liars” when they previously raised the issue of Ward 15’s closure, while campaigners had been accused of scaremongering.

He added: “Now the closure is confirmed and 8000 cases will be transferred to the already over-stretched Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

“This is a result of cuts imposed by this Government and a workforce crisis overseen by this Government.

“The Cabinet Secretary’s decision is a betrayal of local people. How can we trust a word that she or her Government says ever again?”

Ms Robison said plans to close the ward were not approved by the health board until October 2016, with the government receiving its submission in March last year.

She said the board had accepted two conditions, including maintaining and improving community-based paediatric services, and working with families on treatment access plans before the changes take place.

She said: "With the underpinning conditions that I have put in place, I believe that this decision is in the best interests of children across the Clyde area.”

In addition to approving plans to close the children's ward at Royal Alexandra Hospital, Ms Robison rejected proposals to close Lightburn Hospital in Glasgow.

Ms Robison added: “My decision is nothing to do with money – it is to do with the clinicians’ view of what will provide better outcomes for children and young people.

“As a politician, I cannot ignore the clinicians who tell me that the decision that I have taken will provide better outcomes for children and young people. I challenge any politician in this place to ignore that clinical advice.”