There are plans for a maternity services shake-up

Greater Glasgow NHS Board has been reviewing plans which include transferring services to the Southern General Hospital.

An expert panel also suggested the board consider the longer term relocation of the Royal Sick Children's Hospital at Yorkhill - which shares a site with the Queen's Mother's.

However, in a letter to The Herald newspaper, paediatric surgeons from the sick children's hospital voiced their unease about the panel's advice to the board.

We don't feel the essential problems of splitting the sites has been taken on board in relation to neonatal surgery Peter Raine Paediatric surgeon

They said the closure would lead to a drop in standards of care of newborn babies in the city and ruin the current "integrated" service on the site.

The surgeons complained that the panel based its recommendations on inaccurate information and "ignored" their advice.

Closure of the Queen's Mother's would mean the city's maternity services would be available at the new Princess Royal Maternity in the east end and at the Southern General.

Peter Raine, president of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons, said: "We don't feel the essential problems of splitting the sites has been taken on board in relation to neonatal surgery.

"In some instances, we appear to have simply been misquoted."

'Major deterioration'

He said figures for the number of newborns requiring surgery within 24 hours of birth were "too low".

Clinical director for surgery Carl Davis told the newspaper that the proposal was "idiotic".

They were joined in their criticisms by Robert Carachi, a senior lecturer in paediatrics at Glasgow University.

The surgeons said: "We believe the proposals are dangerous and will result in a major deterioration in the quality of care provided to mothers and their newborn babies who require surgery, not just from Glasgow, but also from the whole of the west of Scotland and beyond.

The board is reviewing maternity services

"The present proposals will remove Glasgow from its leading position in the UK in having an 'excellent' integrated service and reduce it to the 'average' for the UK which involves having to move babies in ambulances from one centre to another.

"This is a major retrograde step that will destroy the service."

The panel said its proposals were based on ensuring greater consistency and co-ordination in the organisation of maternity services, with a Glasgow-wide approach to meeting needs.

Board members are due to meet on Tuesday to discuss the panel's recommendations.

The board stressed that a decision on whether or not to close the hospital has yet to be made.