Four babies die at WCH due to lack of cardiac services, hearing told
Four babies have died at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in the past month due to lack of cardiac services and COVID stopping transfers to Melbourne, a committee hearing was told.
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Four babies have died in the past month at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital — the most recent on Friday — blamed on lack of cardiac services, an emotional hearing of state parliament’s public health services committee heard today.
Children who would otherwise have emergency transfers to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital for heart surgery can no longer go there due to COVID, and the alternative to Westmead Hospital in Sydney is done on a case-by-case basis.
Witnesses gave a devastating critique of the situation at the WCH, with respected obstetrician Associate Professor John Svigos saying it had gone from a world class hospital to “a bit second class”.
WCH staff had presented a business case for paediatric cardiac services last year that was rejected after an independent report concluded the number of cases would not be enough to keep surgeons’ skill levels up to standard.
Noting SA was the only mainland state without such a service, Prof Svigos told the committee three children had died in the past month due to lack of such a service — then SA Salaried Medical Officers Association chief industrial office Bernadette Mulholland told the hearing a fourth had died on Friday.
Both witnesses said the impact had been devastating on the families and also on staff who were “besides themselves” with anguish at not being able to save the lives.
Prof Svigos said with any delay, or decision not to have services, “there are consequences”.
“Particularly in our current COVID situation where the usual process of referral to the Melbourne cardiac unit is no longer tenable and referral to Sydney is on a case-by-case basis,” he said.
“I’ve been given to understand that the Women’s and Children’s Hospital has sadly seen the deaths of three babies in the past four weeks who were unable to be transferred, who almost certainly would have benefited from on-site cardiac services.
“I shall leave it to you to imagine the profound effect of these deaths on the parents, their families and the dedicated medical and nursing staff dealing with these tragedies.
“The WCH Alliance would humbly ask how many more deaths of babies and young children will the community and staff be forced to endure?”
Prof Svigos said SA Health budgets $5m a year to transfer such children but a unit at the WCH would cost $6m to establish and $1m a year to run, making it cost neutral in two years.
“If we are not self sufficient we are going to run into this problem again – it would be crazy to think we are not going to have another pandemic at some stage,” he said.
Dr Svigos, an obstetrician and gynaecologist since 1970, has not worked at the WCH for two years but is convener of the WCH Alliance, formed after 215 WCH doctors signed a letter warning of the impact of lack of resources.
He also told the hearing of other concerns including:
CHILDREN’S cancer services being “critically understaffed and under-resourced.
THE need for $12.3m to replace outdated equipment but only $800,000 available a year for two years;
THE Special Care Birthing Unit being empty since it opened on August 14 due to staffing issues although it starting accepting babies from Monday;
PAYING consultants KPMG up to $3m to deal with a $8m budget overrun which is being done by reducing nurses’ hours which he described as “beyond comprehension”;
LACK of consultation with clinicians on the new WCH despite assurances by the state government of such consultation;
He agreed with committee chairwoman Connie Bonaros that it appeared “the budget is being put ahead of children’s lives.”
SASMOA’s Ms Mulholland told the committee with regard to the deaths of the four babies: “If we had that (cardiac) service here in SA that would prevent, and this is the clinicians’ view, the deaths of some of these children.”
Ms Mulholland warned that staff were fatigued, burnt out and demoralised, and the union could not find the additional 100 staff the government has referred to hiring.
She said there was mental stress across the hospital and that doctors now referred to WCH chief executive Lindsey Gough as “a ghost” as they could not get to see her to discuss problems.
Committee chairwoman Ms Bonaros called for an immediate independent inquiry into the deaths, noting Labor had cut the cardiac service and the Liberals had refused to restore it.
“The current situation at the WCH is completely and utterly unacceptable and reprehensible,” she said. “It breaks my heart to hear explosive claims that young babies and children are potentially dying unnecessarily at the hospital.
“It makes me white hot with fury that these babies are allegedly dying due entirely to the fact this penny-pinching government is not prepared to commit financially to a paediatric cardiac surgery unit.
“It is putting cost-savings ahead of human lives – it is a national disgrace.”
WCH chief executive Lindsey Gough declined to discuss individual cases but said the public could be reassured patients get the highest quality health care.
WCH paediatric cardiologist Dr Gavin Wheaton said complex cardiac cases are transferred to Melbourne as “we don’t have sufficient case numbers in SA to support and sustain a service.”
He also would not comment on individual cases, noting any recent deaths are still under review, but stressed Sydney’s Westmead is “providing an excellent service” in lieu of Melbourne.
“Westmead is providing an extremely good support for our children,” he said. “Sydney has an outstanding cardiac service and we have a very good relationship with them, we have had no concerns about the service.”
He also noted officials are examining the feasibility of a heart lung bypass support system for very sick children waiting for transfer.
The Women’s and Children’s Health Network released a statement saying the WCH provides the highest quality care to all its patients, and “South Australian children will always have access to the health services they need.”
“To ensure young South Australians receive the best possible treatment, some patients may need to travel to interstate due to the specialised nature of care they require,” it says.
“We transfer our patients who require complex paediatric cardiac surgery to the Royal Children’s Hospital, as it remains the safest option and offers the best care for our children and their families.
“We are working closely with our clinicians to develop a service proposal for the use of ECMO (a cardiac oxygen service) for children in South Australia.
“Paediatric cardiac surgery services are currently under review with the Network’s Board.
“The quality of the services we provide is always our number one priority and South Australian families should rest assured that our hospital continues to provide the safest care for our patients.”
