Ms Sturgeon reversed a decision to shut two A&E departments

Last month, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon overturned her predecessor's decision to close the units at Ayr Hospital and Monklands in Lanarkshire.

Among the proposed services suspended is a new cancer centre based at Ayr.

Ms Sturgeon said keeping A&E at Ayr was right but opposition parties warned over the impact on other services.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran had also planned community casualty units at Girvan, Cumnock and Irvine.

The services have been put on hold until revised plans have been independently scrutinised and approved.

I made it very clear when I took the decision to retain accident and emergency what I expected the board to deliver and that was A&E at Ayr but most, if not all, of these vital community services Nicola Sturgeon MSP Health secretary Have your say on A&E changes

The decision to keep Ayr and Monklands A&E units open was one of the first announcements made by Ms Sturgeon when she became health secretary.

Andy Kerr MSP, the former Labour health minister who took the decision to close the casualty units, said Ms Sturgeon had taken a short-term populist decision that would harm patients.

"If you seek to reverse some of those core decisions then clearly there will be an effect on other services," he said.

Gavin Tate, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, said he was worried that health services in Ayrshire and Arran would suffer.

"The problem will be that the health board may well, if required to maintain two full A&E departments, be unable to fulfil the other extensive plans for the improvement in cancer services, eye services, local community casualty units and other significant developments." said Mr Tate.

'Extra investment'

When Ms Sturgeon made her announcement in June she made it clear that she expected an impact on some other services but that the bulk of the new services should still go ahead.

She told BBC Scotland: "I made it very clear when I took the decision to retain accident and emergency what I expected the board to deliver and that was A&E at Ayr but most, if not all, of these vital community services.

"I see no reason why that can't be achieved and when the final proposals come to me for approval I'll be looking very closely at them to make sure that the interests of patients are protected."

Conservative MSP, John Scott said the decision taken by Ms Sturgeon was the right one, but he added: "I have always made it clear that other services should not suffer in the long-term."

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Ross Finnie said the health secretary was being "naive" if she thought her decision to keep the emergency unit open would not jeopardise other services.