❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the operational status, staffing, and patient transfers related to the Level 2A Special Care Nursery at Albany Health Campus. The Minister's response indicates the nursery is operational, appropriately staffed, and functioning as intended.
AnsweredQoN 298Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Level 2A Special Care Nursery at Albany Health Campus, which was constructed with a $4.1 million investment and reached practical completion in November 2024, and I ask : (a) Can the Minister confirm whether the Level 2A nursery is currently operational and accepting patients in line with its intended scope of care; (b) What is the current staffing level for the unit, specifically the number of neonatal-trained nurses and paediatric staff employed and rostered to support the Level 2A nursery; (c) How many newborns have been transferred from Albany to Perth since the commissioning of the Level 2A nursery, and for what reasons; (d) Is the Minister aware of ongoing reports that, due to a lack of suitably qualified staff, babies who could otherwise be cared for in Albany are still being flown to Perth, causing unnecessary stress for families and placing pressure on retrieval services; and (e) What steps are the Government taking to ensure the Level 2A nursery is fully staffed and functioning as intended, so that local families can receive neonatal care closer to home?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
17 September 2025
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
10 days
a. Yes, the nursery is operational and accepting patients.
b. The Level 2A Neonatal Nursery is staffed by 3.2FTE and supported by the adjacent Maternity Ward Midwives. The team is comprised of Neonatal Nurses and Qualified Midwives. In addition, there are paediatricians available 24/7 to support the clinical needs of the nursery.
c. Since the Level 2A Neonatal Nursery was operationalised, there has been <5 clinical transfers.
d. There have been no transfers of care to Metropolitan Services of patients that meet the criteria for care in the Level 2A nursery.
e. The Level 2A Neonatal Nursery is fully operational and appropriately staffed.
b. The Level 2A Neonatal Nursery is staffed by 3.2FTE and supported by the adjacent Maternity Ward Midwives. The team is comprised of Neonatal Nurses and Qualified Midwives. In addition, there are paediatricians available 24/7 to support the clinical needs of the nursery.
c. Since the Level 2A Neonatal Nursery was operationalised, there has been <5 clinical transfers.
d. There have been no transfers of care to Metropolitan Services of patients that meet the criteria for care in the Level 2A nursery.
e. The Level 2A Neonatal Nursery is fully operational and appropriately staffed.
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