ALMOST 1,000 children have been transferred from a shuttered hospital ward in Livingston to Edinburgh because of staffing problems, the Health Secretary has confirmed.

Jeane Freeman said 954 children had made the 60-mile round trip to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in the capital because they were unable to go to the local St John’s hospital.

Inpatient services were suspended at the Livingston paediatric ward in July last year, and NHS Lothian has suggested it could be three years before a 24/7 service is reinstated.

In a letter to Labour Lothians MSP Neil Findlay, Ms Freeman said the children had been transferred between an initial three-week closure in 2012 and 24 September this year.

The St John's ward was also hit by a temporary suspension in 2015.

Of the 954 transferred to Edinburgh, 790 had required admission to an inpatient bed, while 164 were transferred but not admitted.

She said: “NHS Lothian fully share my commitment to reinstating the inpatient service at St John’s as soon as possible and this will continue to receive the highest level of priority.”

With inpatient transfers running at around two per day, Mr Findlay said it was likely 1000 children had now been forced to go to Edinburgh because of SNP failings in NHS staffing.

He said: “That’s 1,000 families who have had to endure up to 60 miles of travel, stress, delays and expense just get their children treatment.

“That is utterly unacceptable – and still happening despite a commitment from the SNP Health Secretary Jeane Freeman that fully reopening the ward was her highest priority.

“Instead, families in West Lothian look set to have to endure at least 36 months of more closures and failures.

“Jeane Freeman must apologies to those families her government has failed – and work to reinstate a 24/7 service at the hospital as soon as possible.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "The interim changes were made in the best interests of local children, to preserve patient safety.

"The health board has given assurances that all efforts are being made to recruit medical staff and advanced nurse practitioners to reinstate the full operation of the inpatient unit at St John's.

"We will continue to support NHS Lothian to ensure the quickest possible reinstatement of services and the Health Secretary will continue to keep Parliament updated on progress."