The health board has issued a statement to reassure parents that "no child will be turned away” from A&E at Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) following concern raised online that this would soon be the case.

A post by a parent on social media today (Thursday, April 4) which sparked a flurry of replies, claimed they had been informed that as of the end of April, the RAH will not be accepting children through A&E.

Instead, they said they had been told that children must be taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (presumably the Royal Hospital for Children which is located at the same site in Govan).

Clarifying the situation, a spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said that “no child will be turned away from any of our A&E departments".

“However, as is the case throughout the country, adult A&E departments across NHSGGC, including the one at the RAH, are under considerable pressure, and taking a child there may involve a considerable wait to be seen,” they added.

“In contrast, the A&E department at the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) provides specialist care for children and young people, and patients are likely to be seen much more quickly if they are taken there.

“As such, if it is appropriate to do so, we are currently advising that parents take their children to the RHC, as it would be considerably quicker and more straightforward to do that.

“If parents would prefer to take their child to any of our other A&E departments and are prepared to wait, then they are welcome to do so.”