Nottingham maternity services could be moved to the Queen's Medical Centre under plans to reshape the city's hospitals.
The services, which are currently spread across both the QMC and City Hospital, would be placed under one roof at a proposed Women’s and Children’s Hospital on the campus.
Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH), the trust which runs the hospitals, outlined the plans as part of Tomorrow's NUH, a programme aimed at transforming its services and facilities by 2030.
It is set to benefit from the Government's New Hospital Programme, which is investing in buildings and equipment across the NHS.
A statement in the plans says NUH "know we need to improve maternity services".
And it's proposed that children’s A&E, neonatal and paediatric intensive care units will also be in the same place.
Explaining the benefits, the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG documents say that mothers would have access to the QMC's emergency and specialist care without having to be transferred when they are giving birth.
They say one unit would make it easier to staff and manage, adding: "[It] would help create opportunities to improve the recruitment and retention of staff, as well as supporting quality and safety improvements."
Should the maternity services move to the QMC, elective care would replace it as the trust looks to separate planned care from emergency and urgent care.
Antenatal and postnatal care would both remain at City Hospital.
The plans come at a time of heavy scrutiny for NUH's maternity services, which were rated 'inadequate' by the CQC and are currently subject to a thematic review by the Nottingham CCG and NHS England.
It follows 46 babies suffering brain damage and 19 being stillborn in the city between 2010 and 2020, resulting in millions of pounds paid out by the hospital trust in negligence claims.
NUH is also proposing to redevelop and expand the neonatal facilities at the QMC by 2024, including providing an additional 21 cots, refurbishing the two obstetrics theatres and increasing the number of maternity beds.
Gary and Sarah Andrews, who lost their baby, Wynter, in 2019 after neglect in her care at the QMC, said the plan to merge the services was a "positive step".
"We welcome any steps to improve maternity safety," said Mr Andrews, who described the plans as "ambitious".
"It's a positive step to engage the community. I hope they can deliver a better service and address the other faults, this is a small part of it."
Ms Andrews added: "It means staff and patients aren't having to go back and forth."
However, she said that plans to increase capacity were "a bit alarming as they are struggling to recruit and retain staff".
"Even with all the new equipment, it is nothing without the service," she added.
As well changes to family services, some urgent and emergency care would be relocated to the QMC from City Hospital under the plans, such as respiratory and burns services.
Rupert Egginton, acting chief executive at NUH, added: “We are really excited at the prospect of being able to transform our hospital sites and the way we deliver care through the Tomorrow’s NUH programme.
“We are still in the early stages of developing our plans, and it’s so important that we seek feedback both from our staff and from the local community who use our hospitals."
Members of the public are being urged to engage in a consultation over the proposals up until April 1.
Virtual events will be held on March 23, 26 and April 1, or a survey can be filled out here.
The Government previously announced it would be giving out long-term investment to help NHS estates across the country to provide world-class services through The Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP).
In the first phase (HIP1), six major projects went ahead and NUH has been include in the second wave (HIP2).
Plans have also been outlined for a new multi-storey car park to serve the QMC.
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