By Graeme Esson BBC News Online Scotland

Concerns have been raised over a number of services

Campaigners have voiced their anger after plans to concentrate all consultant-led maternity services in Paisley were approved by Argyll and Clyde Health Board.

Protestors outside the board meeting argued that the move would leave many expectant mothers facing long journeys to hospital if they have complications.

A community maternity unit (CMU), staffed by midwives, is planned for the Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria - where maternity services closed last year after the resignation of an on-call doctor.

A similar unit will be created at Inverclyde Royal Hospital in Greenock, which currently has a full consultant-led service at its Rankin Unit.

Inverclyde Provost Ciano Rebecchi said he was "absolutely gutted" at the decision.

"The people in Inverclyde have been demoralised by what has happened," he said.

Letters of protest

"They have had their feet taken away from them."

He claimed that the decision was taken for financial reasons.

Before the meeting, Provost Rebecchi said he had been inundated with telephone calls and letters of protest.

"I have never seen a community so united in saying we have got to have that service there.

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"It is not just because of the maternity service - it is the other services that go with it," he said.

Provost Rebecchi had urged the NHS board to pause and reconsider the move.

"We have got to say stop. Let's see how we can make the services work instead of cutting them down," he said.

He has also written to Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm, who will make the final decision on any proposals agreed by the board.

Local Labour MSP Duncan McNeil said he was "very disappointed and downhearted" at the board's decision.

He said there had been a flaw in the consultation process, which had not covered the future of the other related services.

"It has been a Trojan horse. It has a greater impact on services to my community, which is comparable with Glasgow in terms of health issues," he said.

Mr McNeil said the board had now announced a review of acute services in its area.

"That is a bit back-to-front for my liking," he said.

"That places Inverclyde Royal at a disadvantage once again."

Let's see how we can make the services work instead of cutting them down Provost Ciano Rebecchi

The Save the Rankin campaign, which was set up three years ago, is calling for the status quo to be retained in the region.

Secretary Liz Roders said there were safety fears over the extra distance which mothers-to-be would have to travel.

"One of the problems is that what seems like a low risk birth to begin with can very, very rapidly become a high risk birth," she said.

"To have to make snap decisions with a 20-mile difference between an emergency and the place that the emergency can be taken care of, we don't think that's good enough."

Paisley would have to serve people from as far afield as the Kyle of Bute and North Ayrshire.

The campaigners staged a demonstration before the board meeting and said they would take their protest to Mr Chisholm.

However, Argyll and Clyde NHS Board has defended the proposals.

Wider review

Dr Lesley Wilkie, the director of public health, said Strathclyde Passenger Transport was looking at the travel implications for patients and relatives.

Dr Wilkie said the new service would be safe

She said the impact on other services would be addressed as part of a wider review of health care services in the area.

Dr Wilkie, who chaired the group which produced the recommendations, said changes were needed to address fears that safety could be compromised for women and their babies.