THE number of hospital beds available for children in Glasgow has fallen by 40 per cent over the last decade, Scottish Labour said yesterday.

NHS Scotland figures show that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s average number of staffed paediatric beds decreased from 200 in 2011-12 to 120 in 2020-21.

Paediatric beds available in NHS Lothian increased from 111 to 143 in that time, while NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s average capacity rose from 23 to 34.

But across the whole of Scotland, the average number of beds available for child patients dropped by 8 per cent, from 758 to 700.

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie described the fall in the number of children’s beds as “dangerous” and “hammer blow to paediatric care.”

“With children from all over the country coming to Glasgow for specialist treatment, it should be a centre of excellence, but instead beds are being stripped away,” she said.

“We cannot cut corners when it comes to kids’ health.

“This is the SNP’s flagship hospital, but instead of investing in child health, the board is cutting beds.”