Your Voice Matters: NHS Seeks Public Opinion on Gynaecology and Maternity Services

A six-week public engagement has launched today (15 October 2024), giving people an opportunity to comment on the issues facing hospital gynaecology and maternity services in Liverpool.

It follows the approval of a case for change by the board of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside at a meeting on 9 October 2024. 

The case for change highlights that the biggest challenge facing these services is the fact that they are located on a different site to most other acute and specialist care, which can cause problems and delays with care – Liverpool Women’s is the only specialist centre for gynaecology and maternity in the country where this is the case.

People can find out more, download an information booklet summarising the key issues, and complete a short questionnaire at www.GynaeAndMaternityLiverpool.nhs.uk The website also features a number of short films with staff involved in delivering gynaecology and maternity care, explaining more about the challenges in their own words.

As part of the public engagement, a series of face-to-face and online engagement events will take place during November, giving people the opportunity to hear about the issues from clinicians and take part in small group discussions. Sessions will be held in Knowsley, Liverpool and Sefton, with people welcome to attend whichever is most convenient for them.

Details of the events and how to register are available at www.GynaeAndMaternityLiverpool.nhs.uk  or by calling 0151 702 4353 (Monday to Friday, between 8.30am – 4pm) or by emailing [email protected] These contact details can also be used to request information in different formats or languages. 

Dr Fiona Lemmens, Deputy Medical Director for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said:

“Although issues around hospital gynaecology and maternity care in Liverpool have been looked at before, this is a new opportunity to tackle what we believe is an urgent health priority for our city. Before we begin developing potential options, we need to hear what staff, patients and members of the wider community think about the reasons for change being presented, and gather their experiences of using services.

“Gynaecology and maternity services are key parts of our local NHS, and the organisations involved with providing this care are committed to working together to find a long-term solution to tackle the challenges we have. It’s really important that we also hear the voices of the local people who depend on these services, so that this can inform our work as we move forward.

“At this stage, no decisions about how services might look in the future have been made. However, whatever proposals might be put forward at a later date, it’s important to stress that the Crown Street building where Liverpool Women’s Hospital is based will remain a key part of our local NHS system, and we are continuing to actively invest in and develop this site.”

Dr Lynn Greenhalgh, Chief Medical Officer for Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust said: 

“The health needs of our population have changed since Liverpool Women’s Hospital first opened its doors almost 30 years ago. For example, around 60% of women who have their babies at Liverpool Women’s have additional health needs that need to be managed alongside their pregnancy. Increasingly, the people we care for also need services that aren’t based at the hospital. 

“We have extremely talented and committed staff working in our city’s hospital gynaecology and maternity services, and there are measures in place to manage issues and keep care safe for now, but we need to look at how to protect what we have for the future. We believe that the people of Liverpool deserve to have the very best experience of care, wherever they are being treated, but our current arrangements mean that this isn’t always possible. 

“To help us begin to make plans, we really need to hear what people think about the challenges facing services. We’re looking forward to gathering views from across our communities over the coming weeks, and hearing what matters to people about these services, and what their own experiences of care have been.”

The NHS will be working with a wide range of partner organisations and local community groups to help share information and encourage people to take part in the engagement.

Once the engagement closes on 26 November 2024, all responses gathered will be analysed by an independent organisation and put into a report, which is likely to be published in early 2025. This feedback will be used to help inform what happens next, including the development of any proposals for how hospital gynaecology and maternity services could look in the future.

Public engagement on hospital gynaecology and maternity services in Liverpool will run from 15 October to 26 November 2024. People can find out more and share their views at www.GynaeAndMaternityLiverpool.nhs.uk