Warning flags against the proposals to close, merge or disperse Liverpool Women’s Hospital. (This is a short read for those with little time or head space to read our more detailed posts which have all the links).

1. Women’s health and babies’ health matter more than money. This is a unique hospital for women and babies. Do not close it in the midst of this health crisis. Demand proper NHS funding and kick out the privatisers. Ten years of privatisation and underfunding have caused these problems and the government is hell-bent on pushing on with these policies. Restore and repair the whole NHS. Improve Liverpool women’s Hospital. Pay the staff well.

2 There is a health care crisis with 7 million people waiting for treatment and Gynaecological waiting lists are appalling. Women’s health is deteriorating.

3 Every baby matters and they all come out of a womb; bad care for mothers damages the next generation. Women living in poverty and under great stress see declines in their own health and that of their babies. Black mothers and babies suffer the most.  We do not need to write reports on women’s healthcare. They are already written. Violence against women is real. Save our hospital.

4. There is a shortage of midwives and poor management of midwife numbers and work pressures at the national level. There is a shortage of obstetricians and gynaecologists and other staff. There has been poor workforce planning, and a system where doctors are very specialised, making dual symptom care harder. These are national problems.

5 We were told years ago we needed fewer Hospital beds. That reduction in hospital bed numbers has been disastrous. The closure of A and E departments and the closure of maternity units have gone badly.

6 There is no bridge, and there is no money for a new build hospital. There is no money for extra staff. Yet LWH management advocates the move based on this twin dream of a new building, and a bridge giving access to Intensive Care and doctors with other specialisms. To make that move without those extra resources would be dangerous. We would lose what we have now.

7. Liverpool Women’s is so close to the Royal that it is quicker to walk from Liverpool Women’s than to get a car out of parking and park it up when you get to the Royal. It is much closer to the Royal than either Broadgreen or Aintree

9. It is hard to merge hospitals. The staff at the Royal, Aintree and Broadgreen work amazingly hard and keep good caring relationships with patients. We thank them for all they do and supported them on their strike. (When you look down this street outside the Royal Liverpool Women’s is at the end of the road by where the trees are on the left)

10 The Royal, Aintree, Broadgreen merger has been difficult. The Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust is in special measures. It has been described as a “troubled trust” managing any hospital is tough in this system and with this government. The Royal Aintree and Broadgreen Trust cannot absorb the  Liverpool Women’s Hospital safely. We fight also against the cuts likely to be imposed at Liverpool by Mr Flory ex-national finance chief sent in to sort out its finances

 Please sign our petition here or at the street stalls