Shake-up in maternity services means care could move away from Liverpool Women's Hospital
The future of maternity services at Liverpool Women's Hospital could be in doubt after new plans were launched by the NHS.
Under the proposals maternity care would be moved to one of the city's acute-care hospitals.
Officials behind the plan say that though most hospital gynaecology and maternity care in Liverpool takes place at the Women’s Hospital on Crown Street, this places them on a different site to other acute and emergency hospital care - putting patients at a disadvantage.
Dr Lynn Greenhalgh, Chief Medical Officer for Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust said: “NHS staff in Liverpool have put in place a range of measures to manage the risks that come from gynaecology and maternity services being separate from other hospital care.
"However, while we are working hard to keep care safe for now, we can’t resolve all of the challenges under current arrangements.
“The health needs of our population, and the treatments we provide, have changed a lot since Liverpool Women’s Hospital first opened, and increasingly gynaecology and maternity patients require input from specialists who are not based on Crown Street.
"This can impact on people with other serious health conditions that need to be managed alongside their gynaecology and maternity care, those who develop unexpected complications which need urgent support from a different team or from an intensive care unit, and people with very complex surgical needs, including many patients with gynaecological cancer.
“We want everyone to receive the best care possible, wherever they are being treated in Liverpool.
"Setting out the issues in the case for change is an important first step in recognising the situation as it stands today, so that we can work with staff, patients, the public and our wider stakeholders, to decide on the best way to move forward.”
The system in the city is unique in the UK and Health Service bosses say that this is potentially putting patients at risk.
The NHS points out that given the increasing complexity of modern health-care needs there is a serious need for change.
Health service bosses also say that all of the city’s gynaecology and maternity specialists are at Liverpool Women’s.
They add that one result is that other hospitals are therefore less able to meet women’s medical needs when they attend accident and emergency, or when receiving care under another service.
NHS figures show that an average of four pregnant women a day visit A&E at either the Royal Liverpool or Aintree hospitals, with around 70% having a condition that could impact on their pregnancy.
Dr Fiona Lemmens, Deputy Medical Director for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: “The way that hospital gynaecology and maternity services in Liverpool are organised means that some care does not meet national care standards.
"If we don’t address this, there is a growing risk that we might not be able to provide some specialist care in Liverpool in the future.
“The issues set out in the case for change have been spoken about before, but this is a new opportunity to tackle what we believe is an urgent health priority.
"All the local NHS organisations involved with gynaecology and maternity care in Liverpool are committed to working together to address these challenges, so that we can improve care for patients and protect services for the future.
“It’s important to stress that while it’s too early in the process to speculate about how services could look in the future, there are no plans to close the Crown Street site.
"The NHS is continuing to invest in these facilities, which are a key part of our local health system.
"Whatever proposals might be put forward for gynaecology and maternity services, Crown Street will continue to play a vital role in the provision of NHS services.”
Its not the first time that maternity services at Liverpool Women's Hospital have been considered for change since it opened in 1995.
But this time the consequences could potentially be more far reaching.
Health bosses point out that no decisions about how services might look in the future have been made, but NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s board will consider the proposals at a meeting on 9th October 2024.
If they give the go-ahead plans will be opened up to public discussion from 15th October, giving people an opportunity to share their views about the issues, with a follow-up report next year.