Adelaide mother campaigns against neonatal care changes

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A mother whose babies were cared for in the Flinders Medical Centre neonatal unit has criticised a proposal to centralise Adelaide services.

The South Australian Government had promised a $17 million Flinders neonatal upgrade but now said it wanted to shift those neonatal intensive care services to the city when a new Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital was built adjoining the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, in about five to 10 years.

It said that would ensure the best technology and services were on offer at a single location.

But Penny Bennett said the plan to centralise neonatal care would disadvantage families in Adelaide’s southern suburbs.

She has taken to social media to campaign against the proposal.

“Potentially you’re placing the lives of women and children at risk,” she said.

“Potentially my daughter wouldn’t be alive today had I had to be transferred from Flinders to the [Adelaide] Women’s and Children’s [Hospital at North Adelaide].

“There is that time factor, you know, [for] women going into spontaneous labour you don’t have half an hour to travel across the city.”

Health Minister Jack Snelling said centralising services at a city location would mean transfers into the city for only the sickest babies.

“We would look at the very, very tinniest and sickest babies and only a small number of those [would be] taken to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital for the first part of their care before they’d be transferred out, so we’re talking about a very small number of babies for a very short period of time,” he said.

Mr Snelling said he expected about 15 babies annually would require a hospital transfer for neonatal care.

The Opposition said the Flinders neonatal upgrade had been promised to secure votes for Labor at the last state election and the Government was now breaking its pledge.

Liberal leader Steven Marshall questioned whether southern suburbs families could expect the best of care in the future.

“Why do you have intensive care? A baby is born, they need 24/7, around the clock care. Now that child is going to be put in an ambulance and transferred to another hospital on the other side of town,” he said.