Doctors ask supporters to appeal directly to premier, health minister over Children’s Hospital saga

Top medicos are asking supporters to launch an “11th hour” email assault on premier Gladys Berejiklian and health minister Brad Hazzard in anticipation of a decision over cardiac services at Sydney’s two children’s hospitals.

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Doctors at Sydney Children’s Hospital are ramping up lobbying efforts to save the Randwick facility’s cardiac services, launching an “11th hour” bombardment on health minister Brad Hazzard and premier Gladys Berejiklian this week.

Chair of the hospital’s medical staff council Dr Susan Russell — along with doctors John Awad, Michael Solomon and Angus Gray — urged supporters on Sunday night to ramp up the pressure by flooding Mr Hazzard and the premier with messages in the next 48 hours, over the issue which has put Sydney’s top medicos at loggerheads with NSW Health decision-makers.

“We have grave fears for the hospital. Patient safety is at risk if the cardiac surgical service closes at SCH,” the call to action email states, going on to claim support was needed at the “11th hour”.

Orthopaedic surgeon Michael Solomon speaks during a rally outside the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick in July. Picture: AAP/Joel Carrett.

NSW Health said there was no estimate for when a decision would be made and that it was investing more than $1 billion into ensuring both facilities at Randwick and Westmead could provide excellent care for sick and injured children.

It has also previously denied claims patient safety was at risk.

“NSW Health will make a decision about paediatric cardiac surgery within the Sydney

Children’s Hospitals Network in due course,” a spokeswoman said.

“The feedback of paediatric specialists from across NSW and interstate, together with other informed stakeholders who attended the 27 July roundtable, will help inform this decision … in addition, findings from previous reviews will also be considered.

“It is important to note that any decision made will be considered within the broader

governance context of the network and its planning objectives for paediatric services

statewide — the latter of which was highlighted by clinicians as key issue at the forum, given

that the vast majority of children presenting to hospitals in NSW are seen outside the two

children’s hospitals in Sydney.”

The doctors plead their case in July at the roundtable, attending by Mr Hazzard and dozens of the states top medical professionals.

The roundtable in July was the culmination of months public debate over the issue between Randwick doctors and NSW Health.

Key to the doctors’ concerns are that sending critically-ill children from the eastern suburbs more than 30km further away to Westmead Children’s Hospital, as opposed to treating them straight away in Randwick, posed a health risk.

Last week, former Labor leader and Maroubra MP Michael Daley told the Southern Courier cutting cardiac services would cause a “cascading effect”.

Dr Susan Russell urged supporters to act within the next 48 hours. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

“If you remove cardiac surgery in a children’s hospital, then renal (kidney) surgery will go, and when those two go the diagnostic equipment will go with it,” he said.

“And soon you will turn up and there will be nothing up there except an emergency department and that is not acceptable. This is a growing community.”

Labor colleague and Coogee MP Marjorie O’Neill and Wentworth’s new Liberal federal member Dave Sharma have also previously backed a call to keep cardiac services at Randwick.

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