Jeremy Hanson has the sidesplitting news on just what is being delivered in the new Women and Children’s Hospital:
“Katy Gallagher was today forced to admit that she’ll deliver half a hospital – a Women and Children’s Hospital without a permanent birthing suite, or paediatric outpatient facilities,” Mr Hanson said today.
“This is effectively a Women and Children’s Hospital without the children, and shows the lengths Katy Gallagher will go to cut ribbons during an election year.
“Sham openings in the lead up to an election have become an ACT Labor trademark– as we saw with the opening of half the ACT Jail in 2008.
But will there be a machine that goes bing?
UPDATE 21/06/12 17:06: The Chief Minister’s Office has sent in this reply:
The new women’s and children’s hospital will of course have permanent birthing suites.
The only way to complete the refurbishment of the birthing suites is to move them while the work is done. This is why the new women’s and children’s hospital project is in two phases.
When we open the first phase of the women’s and children’s hospital, all births will be in the new part – either in the midwife-led birth centre or the birthing suites (currently known as the delivery suites).
When we complete phase two, births through the birth centre will remain in the new part of the women’s and children’s hospital while births through the birthing suites will move back into the refurbished part of the women’s and children’s hospital.
The only way to do this kind of work is in stages. This has always been the plan.
For the first time paediatrics, maternity, neonatal intensive care and special care nurseries, maternity assessment and gynaecological services will all be in the same place – the new women’s and children’s hospital.
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