Inverclyde Royal Hospital is more than a healthcare facility, it is the backbone of our community. It is where generations of families have been treated with dignity, where lives have been saved, and where every one of us has relied on compassionate, skilled care close to home. As a resident of Inverclyde, I know the reassurance that comes from having a trusted hospital just minutes away. But today, that security is under real and urgent threat.

Recent reports have revealed the full scale of the crisis facing Inverclyde Royal Hospital. A Freedom of Information request has confirmed a staggering £121 million repair backlog, with more than 1,150 individual repairs required across the building. Staff and patients are contending with leaking roofs, broken windows, faulty electrics, porous brickwork, and a deteriorating exterior that is no longer fit for purpose.

The situation has now reached a critical point. The hospital’s windows and façade (originally due to be fully replaced by 2026 under an improvement plan agreed with Healthcare Improvement Scotland) will not be repaired on time after the Scottish Government rejected the necessary funding bid. This means the hospital will not be made wind and watertight as promised.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland has already raised serious concerns about the building’s condition following a damning inspection in 2023. With the 2026 deadline now set to be missed, local representatives have warned that the failure to act raises urgent questions about patient safety and the long‑term future of the hospital.

Campaigners, staff, and trade union representatives have been clear: without decisive investment, the IRH risks “closing by default” as essential departments become unsafe or unusable. Water ingress is widespread, the building fabric is failing, and temporary patch‑up repairs are no longer enough to keep services running.

This is not just a maintenance issue, it is a threat to the continued operation of vital healthcare services in Inverclyde. Every delay increases the risk that departments will be forced to shut, leaving our community without the hospital we depend on.

Inverclyde Royal Hospital deserves better. NHS staff deserves better. We deserve better.

Investing the £121 million required to restore the IRH is not simply about repairing a building, it is about protecting the health and safety of every person in Inverclyde, ensuring that future generations have access to the care they need, and honouring the staff who work tirelessly in unacceptable conditions.

We call upon the Scottish Government and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde to act immediately. Commit the funding. Deliver the repairs. Honour the promises made to this community.

By signing this petition, you are standing up for Inverclyde’s right to safe, local healthcare. You are helping to secure the future of our hospital, before it is too late.

Add your name. Raise your voice. Protect Inverclyde Royal Hospital!