ANAS SARWAR has vowed to reverse “downgrade plans” in Scottish neonatal units, should Labour win power in May.

The Scottish Labour leader made the pledge to “protect quality neonatal services” amid ongoing campaigns against centralisation of vital care for sick babies in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Campaigners have been battling to prevent “award-winning” services at University Hospital Wishaw from being downgraded.

A petition submitted to Holyrood argued that Scottish government plans to centralise care at three specialist units in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen could “place additional stress on expectant parents and premature babies.”

Mr Sarwar said: “Families should be able to stay close to their baby, close to their loved ones and close to the support networks they rely on.

“But under the SNP’s plans, families in Dundee, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Fife and Ayrshire risk being pushed further away from care at the most frightening and emotional time of their lives.

“A Scottish Labour government I lead will reverse these downgrade plans, pause centralisation and put patients and families first.”

SNP candidate for Motherwell and Wishaw, Clare Adamson, insisted “no neonatal units are closing,”  adding the centralisations followed “strong evidence and advice from expert clinicians.”