CRITICALLY ill Victorian babies are being sent interstate to hospitals for treatment.

The Herald Sun can reveal the number of babies sent to neonatal intensive care units in other states last year was double that of the previous year.   

Ten newborns were taken to hospitals in Adelaide and Canberra.

Doctors and premature baby support groups insist Victorian babies should be treated here, because of the strain on families of having a sick baby interstate.

"We should have the capacity to treat all Victorians in our own state," said Dr Harry Hemley, state president of the Australian Medical Association.

"Hospitals are over capacity in many areas. This is another example of the need to invest in new beds in the public hospital system," he said.

But the State Government defended the practice, saying babies were transferred only because of clinical need.   

The revelation comes a day after the Herald Sun reported that waiting lists would blow out and thousands of elective operations would be slashed.

The Newborn Emergency Transport Service statistics, provided to the Department of Health, show 10 babies were transferred in 2011, five in 2010, four in 2009, and 17 in 2008.

In 2008 the Liberals, then in opposition, criticised the Labor government for failing to pay for enough NICU and maternity beds, saying there was a cots crisis.

A hospital source said nothing had changed: "It's a constant and continuing challenge. The problem is there aren't enough NICU beds in the state."   

Victoria has 78 NICU respiratory support cots.Despite the rise in interstate transfers, three new NICU beds are being made available across the health system this year.

A statement of priorities - an agreement between the State Government and hospitals- shows they will be at the Mercy Hospital for Women, Monash Medical Centre, and the Royal Children's Hospital.

"Our sickest babies deserve the best care and if the Baillieu Government's funding cuts are now hitting them, this is a truly sad day for Victoria," Opposition health spokesman Gavin Jennings said.   

A spokesman for Health Minister David Davis said all baby transfers in the past 12 months were from regional areas, and the decisions were based on clinical need.

He denied there was a shortage of NICU cots.

"Victoria is a net importer of babies, and transfers occur because of critical time factors and clinical appropriateness," he said.

Miracle Babies Foundation founder Melinda Cruz said having a premature or sick baby was traumatic for parents.

She said the emotional toll of having a baby based interstate could have a long-lasting effect on families.

"This is only compounded when there is financial stress, lack of support, lengthy hospital stays, or being transferred long distances," Ms Cruz said.   

The Royal Women's was full this week.

"As a tertiary facility, delivering more than 6500 babies every year, the Women's NICU generally operates close to or at capacity, which is the most efficient use of intensive health resources," a hospital spokeswoman said.

She said the hospital co-operated with other hospitals to manage demand.

vandenbergl@heraldsun.com.au

blackadder wrote on Jan 7^th, 2012 at 6:37am:


2008   17    lol   

A spokesman for Health Minister David Davis said all baby transfers in the past 12 months were from regional areas, and the decisions were based on clinical need.

If you live in Wodonga and there is urgent care needed, it is virtually the same distance to Canberra as it is Melbourne.

Canberra has a bed, Melbourne might, which one do you go to?

Our friends would be one of those 17, they asked for Canberra because they had family there so it wouldnt cost them any money.

cods wrote on Jan 7^th, 2012 at 6:41am:


You will need to go to the doctor for a dementia test Cods. No the federal government do not run hospitals and why would that be? Because the proposed changes to the system that were put forward in 2007 did not happen because the incoming state gov's like Barnett in WA refused to accept the need to act and rather hold on to the old excuses for state incompetence. Instead Gillard signed a funding agreement that sees the federal government taking on a proportion of funding that the former government refused to take on despite collapsing systems everywhere. Always amazes me how much criticism NSW health cops, i have used it many times and have nothing but praise for them. Seems the model vic system as the lib's like to tell us is one bucket case.

blackadder wrote on Jan 7^th, 2012 at 8:10am:


Generally speaking Australia is the best country in the world to get sick in.
Ive come out the other end of a few years of cancer treatment and then the after effects ( all clear now  )and cant praise the health system here enough.

A lot of elective surgery can be done for a few hundred dollars from a persons own pocket.
I wonder what the breakdown of most elective surgery is.
It amazes me how people will spend thousands on their house, car and pets but refuse to spend one cent on their own health. Even if a person does not have private insurance paying for simple elective surgery is not expensive in the scheme of things.

Its probably the 50,000 kiwis that move here as economic refugees every year that are soaking up all our money..kinda makes the asylum seeker figures pale in comparison.