Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon insisted yesterday that Ayr Hospital's emergency department could be saved without the loss of other facilities such as a planned cancer unit.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon insisted yesterday that Ayr Hospital's emergency department could be saved without the loss of other facilities such as a planned cancer unit.

Labour earlier released a series of parliamentary questions and a letter from the Ayrshire and Arran Health Board indicating difficulties in saving the casualty department without making cuts in other areas.

She said she saw no reason why the board could not save A&E without slashing other services and said: "When the final proposals come to me, I'll be looking very closely at them to make sure that the interests of patients are protected.

"My officials will reinforce that message when they meet (the board) later today."

Labour health spokesman Andy Kerr MSP claimed: "What Nicola Sturgeon has done flies in the face of all the evidence. At the June board meeting, NHS Ayrshire and Arran published a comprehensive list of local services put on hold.

"We are now beginning to see planning for much needed services plunged into chaos."

The board said nothing had changed since the minister's decision to save the A&E department a month ago and they would put forward their proposals in due course.