By Broede Carmody
The Royal Children’s Hospital has told specialist staff at its cancer centre that they will be made redundant just days out from the Good Friday Appeal.
A change impact statement, signed off by hospital chief executive Peter Steer and leaked to The Age, suggests 10 full-time equivalent roles will be axed at the Children’s Cancer Centre across 13 different positions.
The Children’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Children’s Hospital is being hit with redundancies. Credit: Chris Hopkins
The job titles on the chopping block include the centre’s dedicated mental health clinicians, art therapists, an allied health assistant and other support staff.
The cancer centre, which opened in 2006, is Victoria’s only provider of complex cancer care and stem cell transplantation for young people. It treats about 300 newly diagnosed cancer patients under the age of 18 every year.
Changes to philanthropic allocations are behind the need to cut jobs “currently being supported by donor funds”, the leaked document states.
The impact statement – finalised this month – goes on to say that Children’s Cancer Centre (CCC) patients and families will still be able to access wraparound services via the hospital’s centralised mental health and allied health units. The centre will also retain its two dedicated oncologists.
“Where applicable, workload will be distributed among remaining staff members in the relevant CCC teams, and across other RCH [Royal Children’s Hospital] departments to minimise the impact to service provision.”
But one staff member, speaking to The Age on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said they and others were appalled by the changes.
“We are supposed to be a centre of excellence,” the staff member said. “Cutting these services will have devastating outcomes for patients and families, increasing the chances of ongoing trauma and making their journey even more challenging and distressing.”
The staff member went on to say there was no centralised art therapy team and pointed out that pictures of the centre’s patients were being used to promote the annual Good Friday Appeal, which raises funds to “provide world class care” to children.
“It’s not right. It’s so wrong,” the staff member said.
A second employee, also speaking on the condition of anonymity for the same reason, agreed.
“It’s bad for children’s and family’s mental health.”
In an email to CCC staff earlier this week, also seen by The Age, RCH head of medicine Michelle Telfer said job cut decisions were not easy.
“For those of you who work in the Children’s Cancer Centre and oncology teams, there is a very special bond among staff and the patients and families we care for,” Telfer wrote.
“I know each of you will be concerned about the potential impact to our patients and families and want to reassure you we are working towards a solution where the core medical care children receive at the RCH is not compromised.”
The hospital said in a statement on Friday evening that the Children’s Cancer Centre “is world renowned for delivering outstanding care to patients and families dealing with childhood cancer.
“We’re carefully considering changes to the CCC to ensure services evolve sustainably over time. The CCC will continue to be an international leader in the treatment of childhood cancer. The exceptional medical care children receive at the RCH will not be compromised.”
Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association secretary Craig McGregor, from the union representing the bulk of affected employees, said centralised teams meant fewer resources.
“I’m staggered that the Royal Children’s Hospital would cut critical cancer care services days out from the Good Friday Appeal,” McGregor said. “These cuts will cause harm. They must be reversed. This is an appalling act.”
The changes to the hospital’s cancer centre come after a specialist unit treating complex colorectal conditions was quietly disbanded in February.
Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier described the job losses as cruel and said it was just one example of what was at stake due to Victoria’s finances.
Treasury figures from late last year showed Victoria’s net debt had reached $140.7 billion and that the state government’s quarterly interest bill was $1.6 billion – the equivalent of $17.6 million a day.
A state government spokesperson said there had been no changes to the way the government had funded the Royal Children’s.
“We will always make sure that children receiving care at the Royal Children’s Hospital receive the highest-quality care and support,” the spokesperson said.
Last year’s Good Friday Appeal raised a record $23.37 million. This year’s appeal will be held on April 18.
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