Q & A With Junior Doctor, Working at the Liverpool Women's Hospital.

It's been said, that one of the reasons for the move, is the lack of staff in the neonatal ward, which are struggling to manage with the size and capacity of the ward. Could you comment on this and explain to our readers the meaning of a neonatal ward?

A neonatal ward is the part of the hospital that cares for and focuses on the health and wellbeing of premature babies. It is true that our neonatal ward is under staffed, but a downsize isn't the answer to that problem. It would cost a significantly less amount of money to simply hire more staff, than to completely downsize and relocate an entire hospital. Anyone can see that, but it is not just the neonatal clinic that the government have set out to downsize, it is the entire hospital, even the best parts of it that run perfectly and help so many people.

Many patients at the Women's Hospital have complained about the stress of being transferred from the Women's, to the Royal, in a case of intensive care, where one is not available at the Women's Hospital, how can the government make that better, without relocating, closer to the hospital?

It's understandable that a transfer from one hospital to another can be unpleasant, but generally any kind of visit to a hospital can be unpleasant and I feel as though most patients understand completely that their transfer is for their own good and therefore have no complaints. It isn't a long drive from one hospital to another and in most cases we find that patients who have been transferred to the Royal, from the Women's often call and ask if they can come back, once their treatment at the Royal is over. This is because of how wonderful the Women's hospital's staff and facilities are and shows how patients would generally much prefer to be treated in the Women's, rather than the Royal.

The cost of the move and downsize is planned to be covered by borrowing money from the council. Do you think this is an efficient method of payment?

Absolutely not. Joe Anderson's plans to borrow money from Liverpool Council to cover the cost is quite frankly, outrageous. Not only will it leave the city in debt but it will be left to council tax payers to cover the cost, causing a significant rise in the council tax payments for people across the city. As previously mentioned, there are much cheaper ways of updating the hospital and the people of Liverpool simply cannot afford to cover the high cost of Joe Anderson's plans.

The site at the Royal Liverpool Hospital is much bigger and closer to the city centre, therefore more accessible, does that not make it a better location for the Women's Hospital?

Not at all, if anything the location of the hospital at the Royal is worse off because of how close it is to the city centre. The traffic and pollution in that area is sky high and that shouldn't be the type of air that a new born should be breathing in. The noise and business of the area can also prove quite stressful for the mother or for patients suffering with other illnesses. The current site of the Women's Hospital is full of gardens, peaceful areas and places to sit, with fresh air and greenery. Surely that is the type of place that a new born should be taking their first breaths of air and not a main road and city area?