Doctors speak out over cardiac funds at Randwick

Senior medicos at Sydney Children’s Hospital back Labor’s pledge to restore funding for cardiac services at the Randwick precinct.

Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick

Senior medicos at Sydney Children’s Hospital have backed a pledge by the State Opposition to restore funding for cardiac services at the Randwick precinct.

Doctors at Sydney Children’s Hospital have spoken out about the risk to children’s lives posed by the shift of cardiac services away from Randwick to The Children’s Hospital in Westmead.

Last week, NSW Labor promised, if elected, to restore cardiac services to The Sydney Children’s Hospital.

Sue Russell, chair of Senior medical staff council at SCH Randwick, told the Wentworth Courier she was unable to comment directly on Labor’s policy announcement but said she welcomed the support for Randwick’s cardiac services.

It is the first time doctors have spoken publicly since their vote of no confidence in the executive and the Board that runs Randwick and Westmead on January 24 — the result of deepening frustration at reduction in cardiac services at the hospital.

“Whilst I am unable to give an official comment, I welcome any policy that maintains SCH Randwick as one of Sydney’s two world class children’s centres, delivering comprehensive care with an on-site dedicated team” said Dr Russell, Paediatric Haematologist and Oncologist at Randwick.

Hugo Bouhaniche recovering from cardiac surgery at Sydney Childrens Hospital Randwick

The overwhelming majority voted for the motion, at a three-hour meeting attended by 78 senior surgeons and physician.

Doctors first made their concerns public in November last year, when 100 surgeons and physicians penned an open letter to NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard: “There has been no appointment of a paediatric cardiologist or paediatric cardiac surgeon based full-time in Randwick for over a decade. Currently there is only one Randwick based paediatric cardiac surgeon who is on call 24/7.”

Late last month, Mr Hazzard wrote the medical staff council to say he would set up an “independent panel” to review the governance of the network that runs both children’s hospitals.

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In 2012 a Network was formed by combining administration of Randwick and Westmead into one Network and algamating the cardiology and cardiac surgery units from both hospitals.

A directive was given by the Network Board that cardiac surgery was to continue at both hospitals. However, doctors have maintained that the once efficient and exceptionally safe service at Randwick is being slowly dismantled.

SCH looks after around 40% of sick children who require hospitalisation in NSW.

In 2017, over 80% of critically ill children who required statewide emergency retrieval came to SCH Randwick ICU.

Doctors believe cardiac surgery is an indispensable sub-specialty to a children’s hospital.

Parents were sometimes having to travel up to an hour to Westmead for their children’s cardiac appointments.

Labor leader Michael Daley said his government would fund three extra full-time cardiologists, a cardiothoracic surgeon and an independent cardiac director.

NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley (AAP Image/ Joel Carrett)

“This is about protecting the most vulnerable in the community and listening to the needs of doctors and the medical professionals,” he said.

Brigid Kitchin whose son Hugo Bouhaniche required emergency cardiac care has backed the doctors pledge.