Friends of Women’s and Children’s Hospital raise fears about resources as its replacement is planned next to RAH
The doctor behind around 50,000 baby deliveries, and the man who spotted quadruplets, are among those worried about resources at the WCH despite the government’s $50m sustainment program.
SA News
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A new “community alliance” to monitor staffing at the existing Women’s and Children’s Hospital has been launched as consultation ramps up for the hospital’s replacement.
Supporters of the existing WCH, led by obstetrician and gynaecologist Professor John Svigos, are rallying to ensure the new hospital, next to the RAH, is not downgraded.
The new “Women’s and Children’s Alliance”, launched on Sunday, has also released a petition calling for proper staff engagement with the design of any new hospital.
Dr Svigos said the promise of a new hospital should not be used as “cover” to distract from current “underfunding” of the existing service.
He said the WCH had largely “flown under the radar” of Labor’s Transforming Health reforms “until the implementation of a restructured and restrictive budget in 2013 which has continued with the inevitable decline in the quality and the quantity of the hospital service.
“Since that time there have been three new CEOs and considerable medical, nursing, midwifery and ancillary staff changes along with the freezing/non-appointment of previous/new positions …” he said.
Dr Svigos said there were now delays in children with epilepsy or cerebral palsy being evaluated, delays in the treatment of paediatric cancer patients and overcrowding in the Women and Babies division.
The doctors’ union this month released a confronting video where WCH doctors talk frankly about trouble coping.
But a State Government spokesman said the Marshall Government had increased funding by $65m, employed 100 FTE employees and was investing $50m of capital works in the current site.
A further 93 work-based groups comprising hundreds of clinicians, staff and consumers have been appointed to consult on the new hospital.
The first round of consultation will begin today, and will be held over three weeks, while the second round runs from September 7– 25.