TWO NHS reports expected to propose major reforms to health care services in Greater Manchester are published today.

More than 3.1 million patients will be affected by the reforms, which are thought to include changes to maternity care provision in North East Manchester.

NHS chiefs will ask residents in Greater Manchester, East Cheshire and High Peak for their views on a series of proposed changes to health services for babies, children and parents.

And in a separate development, the NHS is to publish a report on all health services in the Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust, which covers the North East Manchester, Rochdale, Oldham and Bury areas. It is expected to include controversial proposals to reshape the way maternity care is delivered by the trust's five hospitals.

Health care chiefs have said that falling birth rates and staff shortages mean it would make sense to have a higher number of specialised neo-natal centres at a smaller number of sites.

Controversy

This sparked controversy when it was first suggested last year.

There was speculation Fairfield Hospital in Bury would be among those to be "downgraded" to a birthing centre run by midwives instead of doctors.

Health bosses have stressed that no decision has been made yet and that no specific site is under threat.

But Dr Said Hany, associate specialist in paediatrics at Fairfield Hospital, said: "We don't know what is going to be in the proposals but we are still concerned that Fairfield is going to be a target, even if they keep names out of it for now.

"We understand that there has to be a review of maternity services but we want to make sure there is adequate provision north of the motorway and for every unit to be judged individually on its own merits.

"The worry is that we would only be dealing with low-risk patients and would only have midwives on site.

"If a complication occurred, mothers would have to be moved to another hospital miles away."

The wider review of health provision across Greater Manchester, East Cheshire and High Peak will include one of the biggest patient consultation exercises undertaken in the NHS.

It is also expected to propose changing the number of hospitals where specialist maternity services are available.

The two reviews, which are both being co-ordinated by the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority, will run side-by-side and the findings will be published early next year after formal consultations later this year.

Tweet