Douglas Fraser: "The Labour front bench response sounds a bit confused"

The long-awaited announcement that two accident and emergency departments have been saved from closure was made today by the Scottish Government.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs local NHS chiefs had submitted proposals which would retain A&E services at Monklands and Ayr hospitals.

Both units had previously been earmarked for closure under controversial plans that sparked protests.

"The fact that the previous administrations, notwithstanding the lack of a clear and robust evidence base, was prepared to sanction the closure of their A&E units beggars belief," said Ms Sturgeon.

The proposals from NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Ayrshire and Arran boards also allowed for further development of A&E services at the hospitals, she said.

In June last year Ms Sturgeon reversed the previous Executive's decision to close the A&E units at both hospitals, and ordered both health boards to come up with fresh proposals which would then go out to independent scrutiny.

The scrutiny panel published its report in January, and both health boards then agreed their preferred plan and submitted this to Ms Sturgeon.

Announcing that she was accepting both sets of proposals, Ms Sturgeon said: "These proposals will ensure not only the maintenance but also the enhancement of the valued A&E services at Ayr and Monklands hospitals."

She told MSPs that this amounted to "a promise kept by this SNP government."

Ms Sturgeon said: "This government has been consistent in our belief that the decisions of our predecessors to close these A&E departments was wrong."

She went on: "There is little doubt that the original consultations in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire and the subsequent decisions made by the boards compromised the trust, faith and confidence that local people had in their NHS."