❓ Mr Huston raises concerns about neonatal emergency transport from the new Murdoch women's and babies' hospital to Perth Children's Hospital. Ms Hammat defends the hospital's location, highlighting expanded maternity services and government commitment, but doesn't directly address the transport plan or infrastructure upgrades.
AnsweredQoN 500Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Women's and Babies' Hospital—Murdoch500.Mr Jonathan Hustonto the Minister for Health:I refer to the new women's
and babies' hospital at Murdoch.(1) Can the minister explain to the people of
Western Australia, especially future mothers, what is the proposed neonatal
emergency transport service plan to safely transfer the approximately 200
neonates who need emergency surgery every year from Murdoch to Perth Children's
Hospital in Nedlands?(2) Will there be
additional infrastructure at PCH to mitigate this obvious risk?
and babies' hospital at Murdoch.(1) Can the minister explain to the people of
Western Australia, especially future mothers, what is the proposed neonatal
emergency transport service plan to safely transfer the approximately 200
neonates who need emergency surgery every year from Murdoch to Perth Children's
Hospital in Nedlands?(2) Will there be
additional infrastructure at PCH to mitigate this obvious risk?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 October 2025
Response time
0 days
Ms Meredith Hammat replied:(1)–(2) I thank the member for the
question. It feels a bit like groundhog day. This issue has been debated over
and again. The opposition took it to the election.Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members! Leader of the Opposition!
Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation!Ms Meredith Hammat:The opposition made the election a
referendum on the location of the new women's and babies' hospital.Mr Basil Zempilasinterjected.The Speaker:Leader of the Opposition!Ms Meredith Hammat:Quite sensibly, the people of
Western Australia agree with this government that the best location for that
brilliant new hospital is at the Murdoch facility. As I said, it was very good
to be there in recent months with the Premier and the Minister for Health
Infrastructure to sign the contracts for that hospital to be delivered. It is
going to be a fantastic facility and people are incredibly excited about the
delivery of it. As I said in my earlier answer, it is not just about the
hospital at Murdoch. We are also expanding the maternity services at Osborne
Park Hospital, including putting a new family birth centre there. For the women
in the northern suburbs, this is an incredibly important development, as,
indeed, is the brilliant new facility at Murdoch health campus. It is important
to note that there has been a lot of support for the location of that facility.
In particular, the Royal Flying Doctor Service has made the observation that the
new women's and babies' facility at Murdoch will provide an excellent location
for those women and their babies who may be transported from regional Western
Australia.We have a clear
mandate to deliver on our maternity services, and that is what we are doing. We
are getting on with the job of building the new women's and babies' hospital in
Murdoch and we are getting on with the expansion of maternity services at Osborne
Park Hospital. I want to be clear that there is no plan to develop a maternity
hospital on the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre site. There have been some targeted
discussions to ensure that we have appropriate services, if they are necessary,
in a central location. That consideration is ongoing, but our plan is very
clear. Our plan involves a brand-new $1.8 billion maternity hospital at Murdoch
and upgraded facilities at Osborne Park.Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members! Leader of the Nationals!Ms Meredith Hammat:We are always looking at what
services need to be provided to the people of Western Australia, whether it is maternity
services or other services and whether it is here in Perth or right around
Western Australia. That is what good governments do, and that is what we are
doing. We are getting on with the job of making sure that the people of Western
Australia can access the care that they need when they need it.
Women's and Babies' Hospital—Murdoch
question. It feels a bit like groundhog day. This issue has been debated over
and again. The opposition took it to the election.Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members! Leader of the Opposition!
Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation!Ms Meredith Hammat:The opposition made the election a
referendum on the location of the new women's and babies' hospital.Mr Basil Zempilasinterjected.The Speaker:Leader of the Opposition!Ms Meredith Hammat:Quite sensibly, the people of
Western Australia agree with this government that the best location for that
brilliant new hospital is at the Murdoch facility. As I said, it was very good
to be there in recent months with the Premier and the Minister for Health
Infrastructure to sign the contracts for that hospital to be delivered. It is
going to be a fantastic facility and people are incredibly excited about the
delivery of it. As I said in my earlier answer, it is not just about the
hospital at Murdoch. We are also expanding the maternity services at Osborne
Park Hospital, including putting a new family birth centre there. For the women
in the northern suburbs, this is an incredibly important development, as,
indeed, is the brilliant new facility at Murdoch health campus. It is important
to note that there has been a lot of support for the location of that facility.
In particular, the Royal Flying Doctor Service has made the observation that the
new women's and babies' facility at Murdoch will provide an excellent location
for those women and their babies who may be transported from regional Western
Australia.We have a clear
mandate to deliver on our maternity services, and that is what we are doing. We
are getting on with the job of building the new women's and babies' hospital in
Murdoch and we are getting on with the expansion of maternity services at Osborne
Park Hospital. I want to be clear that there is no plan to develop a maternity
hospital on the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre site. There have been some targeted
discussions to ensure that we have appropriate services, if they are necessary,
in a central location. That consideration is ongoing, but our plan is very
clear. Our plan involves a brand-new $1.8 billion maternity hospital at Murdoch
and upgraded facilities at Osborne Park.Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members! Leader of the Nationals!Ms Meredith Hammat:We are always looking at what
services need to be provided to the people of Western Australia, whether it is maternity
services or other services and whether it is here in Perth or right around
Western Australia. That is what good governments do, and that is what we are
doing. We are getting on with the job of making sure that the people of Western
Australia can access the care that they need when they need it.
Women's and Babies' Hospital—Murdoch
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