NSW Ministry of Health to hold roundtable on Sydney children’s hospitals war

The NSW Ministry of Health will take the unprecedented step of holding a roundtable discussion with senior medical staff from across the state in a bid to end the children’s hospital war.

• Children’s hospitals battle for specialised cardiac staff
• Sydney Children’s Hospital Network boss resigns as feud ramps up

The NSW Ministry of Health will take the unprecedented step of holding a roundtable discussion with senior medical staff from across the state in a bid to end the children’s hospital war.

Hundreds of senior doctors, nurses and allied health staff involved in paediatric services will be invited to attend the conference on July 27 along with medical staff council members from the Randwick and Westmead children’s hospitals.

Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick.

The east and west divide over a lack of cardiac services has intensified in recent months with senior doctors at the Randwick facility voting to leave the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network in May.

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

The announcement comes as an independent review into the governance of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network will be handed to the medical staff councils on Wednesday.

The review, undertaken by Professor Cathy Alexander, was ordered at the behest of Randwick staff in February but they have no confidence it will resolve their concerns.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard announcing 680 million for a for a comprehensive children cancer centre at Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick on Friday March 1 2019. (Image / Monique Harmer)

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the government’s “number one priority” is “delivering world class health services for children and infants in NSW”.

“Ultimately the decision about paediatric and neonatal services in NSW will be one for the expert clinicians, including allied health and nursing staff, in consultation with NSW Health,” he said.

“The structure of medical/hospital services for babies and children has also been considered in other states and overseas and is always an issue that sparks energetic debate and strong viewpoints.

“In the end though, NSW Health will have to make a decision on what it considers will work best for babies and children and that is all that matters.”

NSW Health will not make any decision on the future of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network until it holds the roundtable discussion later this month.