Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria is facing service cuts

The panel, appointed by the Scottish Government, said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde failed to assess the risks and the alternatives.

Experts found the health board made it impossible to assess value for money.

The hospital in Alexandria faced losing its birthing unit, anaesthetics and unscheduled medical care.

Some of its mental health beds were also due to go.

Shortly after the SNP was elected to government on a pledge to save local hospitals, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde announced proposals to further downgrade services at the hospital.

Vale of Leven's consultant-led maternity service was transferred to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley in 2002 although a midwifery community unit was retained.

The Vale's accident and emergency unit was shut down two months later.

It is important to emphasise that we will consider all of the panel's conclusions before making decisions on how to proceed Catriona Renfrew NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Health chiefs announced in May that they wanted to scale back certain medical procedures and other hospital services.

The proposals recommended that future medical patients should instead go to the Paisley's Royal Alexandra Hospital.

But in July, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said no final decision had yet been taken.

The Independent Scrutiny Panel report raised concerns about the proposals and highlighted further work to be done by the health board. Professor Angus Mackay, chairman of the panel, said: "We have been greatly impressed by the conviction and clarity of the views received from the public, both at public meetings, and sent in writing.

"These meetings highlighted public concern over hospital bed closures and whether needs could be met by care in the community, ambulance transfers and transport problems in areas affected by centralisation and a lack of confidence amongst some to challenge clinical views about safety."

Catriona Renfrew, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's director of corporate planning and policy, said that they had just received the latest report and so far only had the opportunity to note its key conclusions.

She added: "We recognise that the report has raised a number of important issues which we obviously need to carefully consider, we are encouraged that the panel have concluded that many of our proposals are based on sound principles.