Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick backs split from network in secret ballot

A senior surgeon says Health Minister Brad Hazzard will have “blood on his hands” if he does not intervene in a rift between Sydney’s two children’s hospitals.

• ANGUS GRAY: Sydney Children’s Hospital needs to go its own way

Health Minister Brad Hazzard says he is working “behind the scenes” to resolve a cardiac surgery resourcing dispute that has sparked a bitter feud between NSW’s two children’s hospitals.

It comes after a senior doctor surgeon from the Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick warned Mr Hazzard would have blood on his hands if children die from a lack of cardiology services at the facility.

Dr Angus Gray at Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick. Picture: Rohan Kelly

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The former head of the hospital’s senior medical staff council, Dr Angus Gray, issued the statement as senior clinicians ramped up their fight in what they say is a cardiac surgery resourcing crisis at the facility.

Mr Hazzard has previously refused to weigh into the debate on the basis that doing so would pre-empt a review that is currently underway into the Sydney Children’s Hospital network, which oversees the management of facilities at Randwick and Westmead.

But he was put on the spot during Question Time this afternoon when Labor asked what steps he was taking to resolve the matter.

“It’s about a clinical issue … I can assure the house though the ministry (of health) and I are doing everything to work with these clinicians behind the scenes,” he said.

“It’s unfortunate some have felt the need to... jump the gun and gone public.”

Mr Hazzard also said he had participated in “numerous meetings” with doctors and specialists over the last 18 months in an attempt to work through their concerns.

“Randwick has a paediatric cardiatric surgeon who is excellent and undertakes some work in the paediatric area but certainly the decisions that have been taken by the clinical group that manages these issues have had a propensity to see more patients being dealt with at Westmead,” he said.

Mr Hazzard also said the Royal Women’s and Prince of Wales hospitals both wanted to see “continuing paediatric cardiac capacity on the campus at Randwick”.

However he said more work was needed to determine what is best for patients.

Minister for Medical Research Brad Hazzard

In a secret ballot on Tuesday night, 129 out of 148 senior doctors from the Randwick hospital voted to leave the network that also runs the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, arguing that the hospital was being downgraded.

Mr Hazzard is waiting on a review of the children’s hospital network, but orthopaedic surgeon Dr Gray said the Health Minister would be “wrong” to see the situation as a fight between doctors at two hospitals.

“It is a fight to preserve the state’s second comprehensive children’s hospital,’’ Dr Gray said.

“The Minister was warned, in writing, in November 2018 that if cardiac surgery is lost from Sydney Children’s Hospital, children will die.

“It is his decision and the responsibility will be his. Their blood will be on his hands. Will he be the one apologising to grieving parents?”

Labor’s health spokesman Walt Secord claimed the NSW government’s “neglect” of paediatric cardiac services has “pitted surgeon against surgeon in a Hunger Games-like fight for scarce resources”.

“The Health minister, the health department and the local health district has lost the confidence of Randwick and Westmead doctors so the Berejiklian Government must appoint an independent external mediator,” he said.

“Make no mistake, responsibility for this crisis lies squarely at the feet of Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard.

“The conduct of the Berejiklian Government has been heartless. The lives of premature babies with life-threatening heart conditions are at risk.”

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The hospitals were amalgamated in 2010 in a bid to ensure appropriate funding and service delivery across the city.

But cardiac surgery on the Randwick campus has ground to a halt since March last year due to the lack of resources.

“The NSW Ministry of Health, and SCHN (Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network) Executive … has provided no meaningful response since 2010 regarding the life-threatening risks posed to children that stem from losing cardiac surgery,” SCH Randwick medical staff council chair Dr Susan Russell said.

“The SCH Randwick intensive care unit has been downgraded while millions have been poured into Westmead children’s intensive care.”

Mr Hazzard ordered an independent governance review into the SCHN network at the behest of Randwick staff in February but doctors have no confidence it will resolve their concerns. Recommendations are expected in June.

Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick

A spokeswoman for NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said that the outcome “will ­inform any decision taken”.

“The NSW government is investing more than $1.3 billion to ensure both The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick have the best facilities and services in the world in which to care for sick and injured children,” she said. NSW Health said “ongoing delivery of the best possible healthcare to sick children and their families is our highest priority”.

Randwick doctors say their preferred option is to create a “cradle to grave” health precinct with the University of NSW, Royal Hospital for Women and Prince of Wales.

Dr Gray said the Randwick facility has been “shackled to a bigger hospital with bigger attitudes”.

“There are people who really want Westmead to be the only game in town and they’re prepared to see us downgrade to get to that point,” he said.

“In a city of 5.7 million people, two fully functioning children’s hospitals are necessary.’’