Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-11-30 Daily Xml

Contents

Women's and Children's Hospital

In reply to the Hon. C. BONAROS ().28 September 2022).

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): The Minister for Health and Wellbeing has advised:

1. The new Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH) is being designed to provide the required infrastructure to support future provision of cardiac surgery as part of our commitment to building a world-class hospital that will meet the needs of children in the long-term.

2. The cardiology department at the WCH currently operates a well-established cardiac unit providing a statewide service for the assessment and management of children affected by heart disease. This is a dedicated specialist unit providing inpatient and outpatient services, including intensive care, and comprehensive non-invasive and invasive cardiac investigations. An important aspect of management of some childhood heart disease is highly specialised paediatric cardiac surgery. Paediatric heart surgery for South Australian children continues to be undertaken in partnership with the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne and Westmead Children's Hospital, Sydney.

3. South Australian babies and children will always have access to the health services they need. An ECLS (extracorporeal life support) initiation service has now been implemented at the WCH.

4. Steps to determine the future of the existing WCH site will be managed by Renewal SA.