A specialist children's ward has been saved pending an agreement with consultants after independent experts conducted a review.

Fears were growing that paediatric services at St John's Hospital in Livingston would be withdrawn due to staffing problems.

Recruitment issues forced the children's ward to close for six weeks last summer, with a similar closure in 2012.

The health board had considered basing all child inpatients at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh as it struggled to find specialist medical staff.

It asked the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) to review paediatric treatment, workforce and services across the two sites as well as Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

The team concluded St John's should introduce resident consultants in hospital overnight to retain the inpatient service.

The move will require the current consultant workforce to agree to give routine out of hours cover.

It also recommended a boost in the number of consultants based at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children to help cope with the steady rise in the number of admissions.

The suggestions are among at a total of 31 recommendations for inpatient children's services which the health board has pledged to take forward.

NHS Lothian bosses will be asked to approve the measures at a meeting next week, with an interim plan until staffing arrangements are finalised.

The challenges come as the health board gears up to move to a £200m replacement for its flagship children's hospital at the same site as Royal Infirmary.

Jim Crombie, chief officer of acute services at NHS Lothian said: "I want to ensure that we can deliver the safest services for children across Lothian which is why we commissioned the experts at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to carry out an independent review.

"The college has made a number of recommendations following an extensive review of the service and following agreement from the board, we will discuss these with our staff to establish how they are best implemented."

Local MSP Neil Findlay, who campaigned against the closure of the ward, said: "This is a fantastic victory for the community campaign and NHS Lothian must implement the reports findings.

"We said from the beginning that it would be unacceptable for any closure or downgrade of the ward at St John's and we have been successful in defending these services.

"There are however huge issues relating the services being provided for children across Lothian and we have to ensure that the concerns raised in the college report are addressed - but today is a victory for people power and I want to thank everyone who supported the campaign."