Scottish Labour’s manifesto will give a “cast-iron guarantee” to protect local health services, according to leader Kezia Dugdale.
The pledge – which names specific hospitals – will be contained in the party’s Holyrood plans, to be published on Wednesday.
Ms Dugdale said: “Our manifesto on Wednesday will give a cast-iron guarantee that local NHS services will be protected with a Labour Scottish Government.
“This will include services that some health boards have already earmarked for cutbacks and that the SNP are avoiding talking about.
“Yesterday, Nicola Sturgeon refused to give a commitment to protect vital local NHS services. This includes children’s wards, maternity services and elderly care services. We will protect these services and look for opportunities to develop them.
“We can make this commitment because of our plan to end austerity and stop the cuts to our public services. A promise that the SNP have failed to match.”
The manifesto will pledge to protect and look for opportunities to develop services including the Lightburn Hospital in Glasgow, NHS Lothian’s St John’s Hospital Children’s Ward, the Royal Alexandra Hospital Children’s Ward and Community Maternity Unit in Paisley, Emergency Care and Community Maternity Services at the Vale of Leven, and the Community Maternity Services at Inverclyde Royal.
Earlier this year, a leaked NHS board document revealed an option to close the Lightburn Hospital – the facility was saved from closure in 2011 when the then Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon asked NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to revise its decision.
The future of maternity services at Royal Alexandra Hospital and Inverclyde Royal Hospital are also uncertain and proposals to close emergency and maternity services at the Vale of Leven hospital are on the table as part of plans to make financial savings.
Meanwhile, a report on the future of the children’s ward at St John’s Hospital will be published after May’s election.
The SNP’s manifesto pledges to “implement a new clinical strategy to develop specialist services where appropriate and protect access to care services whenever possible”.