Australia’s first children’s cancer centre at Randwick

Australia’s first Comprehensive Children’s Cancer Centre will be built at Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard and his Federal counterpart Greg Hunt with cancer patient Jack at the announcement of $680m funding for cancer treatment at Sydney Children’s Hospital.

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The Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick will receive $608 million for what Health Minister Greg Hunt says will be “Australia’s first comprehensive children’s cancer centre”.

The money will also go towards the redevelopment of Sydney Children’s Hospital, which is set to “add 50 per cent” to the hospital’s size according to the board of Sydney Children’s Hospital Network.

The announcement — made this morning by NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard and his federal counterpart Greg Hunt — comes in the midst of controversy over the state of cardiac paediatric services at the hospital.

When finished in 2025, the hospital will be the main port of call for all Australians with childhood cancer.

$608m funding announced for first all-inclusive childrens' cancer clinic in Randwick.

In what was dubbed a triumph of “co-ordination and collaboration” for Australia, with $428 million from the NSW Government, $100 million from the Federal Government, $30 million from UNSW, $25 million from SCH Foundation and $25 million from Children’s Cancer Institute.

NSW chief paediatrician Dr Matt O’Meara said: “This is the start of a rebuild of Sydney Children’s Hospital. It’s a new emergency department and a short-stay service.”

The new ED will include ambulatory care, short stay and a trauma room.

“The hospital relies on the emergency department. It’s the one vital component of care,” he said.

NSW chief paediatrician Dr Matt O’Meara funding will go towards a “new emergency department”.

“For the 100 families that come to Sydney Children’s Hospital each day, it means better access (and) a greater capacity to treat more sick children,” he said.

Year 7 student Jack — whose last name was withheld along with his mother’s, Anneleen — has been treated for leukaemia at the hospital since he was five.

The pair attended the announcement after Jack came to the hospital for a fever last night, and stayed to say a few words to journalists covering the announcement.

“I got diagnosed with cancer at the age of five and I relapsed twice and I had a bone-marrow transplant the third time,” he said.

“It was not the best to be in hospital for all that time but I’m out now and I’m back to normal, going to school.”

Anneleen with her son Jack who underwent cancer treatment at Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick.

Jack said he got his strength “from mum and dad … they can take care of my sisters and I if we have a problem.”

“I think it will change things significantly for us,” Anneleen said.

“Patients like Jack and their parents spend an enormous amount of time in hospital, sometimes months on end, so it’s very important to have the appropriate space and facilities.

“All you want to know as a parent is that things are evolving constantly and you do have access to the latest research, so reassuring that is happening next door.”

Professor Tracey O’Brien said the hospital is working towards Zero Childhood Cancer.

Jack’s doctor Professor Tracey O’Brien said the goal of this “world class, purpose-built, comprehensive, cancer centre” is to cure all children with cancer.

She said the hospital was working towards “the Zero Childhood Cancer initiative … for high risk children with cancer.”

Over 800 children are diagnosed with cancer each year and about 100 lose that battle.

“This is truly a moment in time,” she said.

Mr Hazzard said, “this is for every child in Australia who may find themselves with cancer.”

Professor Christine Bennett, Chair of the board of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, said this funding is a “statement about the future of our work as a network”.

He said new clinical services will get “research straight from bench to bedside”.

Professor Christine Bennett, Chair of the Board of Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, said: “This is also a very impartment statement about the future of our work as a network”.

“This is the most powerful example of collaboration and partnership I can think of in this country at the moment,” she said.

“(It will be the) very best children’s comprehensive cancer centre in the world”

The issue of neglected paediatric cardiac services at the network was not addressed and the health ministers did not take questions from journalists.

As early as last week, Senior doctors at Randwick Children’s Hospital wrote publicly to the network to demand full control of the cardiology and cardiothoracic departments, three full-time cardiologists and one part-time cardiac surgeon.

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They also demanded an audit of funding after the “one service two side model” of the network is under fire from senior staff at Randwick for draining services from Randwick to give to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

Labor promised to restore paediatric cardiac services at SCH if they win the State election.

The investment in the Sydney Children’s hospital for both the cancer clinic and redevelopment will create about 6080 direct and indirect jobs.