WEST Dunbartonshire Council has voted unanimously to support St Margaret of Scotland Hospice and oppose any chance of means testing patients.

The public turned out in force before the meeting, spilling on to the road outside Clydebank Town Hall and forming a guard for anyone going in the building to insist on support for the hospice.

Attendance was so high the meeting was moved to the Grand Hall, which quickly filled up with more than 200 people.

The meeting was called to debate an emergency motion from Councillor Denis Agnew oppositing the transfer of funding power from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to the Integrated Joint Board (IJB).

A separate motion from the Labour administration supporting the hospice was withdrawn to remove any hint of politics from the debate.

Though unanimous, Provost Douglas McAllister insisted on a show of hands for the motion so the official council record would not the support.

And dramatically, the public all raised their hands in solidarity to fight for the future.

"Some issues should transcend politics," concluded the Provost. "And the hospice is one such issue and we have proved that tonight. 

"The council of West Dunbartonshire and the people of West Dunbartonshire, we can all go forward united behind one campaign. The hospice will not be accepting this and there will be no means testing at St Margaret of Scotland Hospice."

With hospice Chief Executive Sister Rita and the charity's board looking on, councillors expressed their support, including those with personal experience of loved ones cared for expertly by staff and volunteers.

Cllr Agnew said: "The hospice has won the moral argument hands down."

The council's vote adds pressure to the IJB meeting next month, where half the members are from the NHS. Chairwoman Councillor Gail Casey said, as chair, she would oppose the IJB having control of hospice funding.