Plans to end emergency orthopaedic surgery at a hospital have been branded "completely unacceptable" by Labour.

Central Scotland MSP Elaine Smith hit out at NHS Lanarkshire over proposals for orthopaedic trauma services to be split between Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride and Wishaw Hospital, with no provision at Monklands in Airdrie.

She has now called on Health Secretary Shona Robison to intervene and ensure the changes do not go ahead.

The Labour MSP said: "These cuts will be completely unacceptable to local people, who are only now being consulted after the decision has already been made.

"Expert consultants at Monklands Hospital say these cuts will put patient safety at risk. It would be wrong to press ahead."

Ms Smith added: "The Monklands shouldn't be a victim of the SNP's failure to fund our NHS properly.

"SNP Health Minister Shona Robison must make clear as a matter of urgency that these cuts to Monklands Hospital will not happen."

NHS Lanarkshire is currently carrying out a major consultation on a new healthcare strategy, setting out how services will be delivered in the future.

As part of that it is considering having one centre of excellence for trauma orthopaedics and another for planned orthopaedic surgeries, such as hip replacements, as well as where these should be based.

But the health board has already agreed to an interim move, which will see emergency operations for patients with broken and fractured bones done at Wishaw and Hairmyres.

The health board consultation said: "In light of the pressing concerns of safety and sustainability of the current service, the NHS Lanarkshire board has decided that the move to the interim configuration for orthopaedic surgery should be completed during 2016/17. Work to make the necessary changes is now under way."

Medical staff at NHS Lanarkshire see more than 26,000 cases in orthopaedic clinics each year, with about 10,000 patients admitted to hospital either for an emergency operation or a planned surgery.

The health board paper stressed: "The Monklands emergency department team will continue to treat the majority of fractures (almost 3,000 each year), and refer those patients to the local fracture clinic - as at present.

"The Scottish Ambulance Service will take the small number of emergency cases with major fractures to the nearest appropriate hospital (Wishaw, Hairmyres, or into Glasgow - as at present). Patients who self-refer at Monklands (i.e. not sent by a GP or by the ambulance service) and who require immediate surgery will be stabilised, transferred and admitted to either Hairmyres or Wishaw."

It continued: "In total this will mean a change to the current pathway for emergency treatment for three or four patients each day.

"The total reduction in activity at Monklands emergency department will be around 3% and so will not affect the sustainability of the department."

The previous Labour-led Scottish Executive had proposed closing the accident and emergency department at Monklands Hospital, a decision that was overturned after the SNP came to power at Holyrood in 2007.

A spokesman for Ms Robison hit out at the "breath-taking hypocrisy from Labour, who seem to think people have forgotten their attempts to shut the A&E at Monklands Hospital".

He said: "It was this SNP Government that overturned Labour's decision and saved the Monklands A&E, and we are absolutely committed to the A&E services remaining there.

"The health board has been clear that this interim model is to build service resilience - and not about removing services. They are confident it will enable them to develop a complementary network of services of excellence across all hospital sites, with A&E departments operating in all three.

"NHS Lanarkshire need to properly engage with staff and the public throughout the process and we would also encourage as many local people as possible to respond to the formal consultation so they can help shape the future of these local services.

"Labour will be hoping that the people of Lanarkshire have forgotten that their funding plans for the NHS were the lowest of any party at the last election - lower than even the Tories. We've ensured the NHS now has record high funding, and by the end of this parliament that health spending in Scotland is at least £500 million higher than inflation."

Dr Jane Burns, NHS Lanarkshire divisional medical director of acute services, said: "We have been very clear that we are committed to delivering a consultant-led emergency department at all three of our hospital sites and that A&E services will not be downgraded at Monklands.

"The estimated number of individuals who will be treated at either Hairmyres or Wishaw General Hospital as a result of the proposed changes will mean a change in the pathway for treatment for three or four patient referrals each day.

"For over 98% of patients who currently access emergency services at Monklands Hospital there will be no change.

"We are currently consulting on the long-term vision for orthopaedics however current services cannot be sustained while this process is concluded which is why we have had to implement these interim changes."