- $4.1 million for a new Special Care Nursery at Albany Health Campus
- Boost to care for complex cases and preterm newborns from 34 weeks
- Will deliver 5.7FTE of senior nurses to extend support for local families
- Providing care closer to home for more mothers and babies in the Great Southern
The Cook Government is delivering a Level 2 Special Care Nursery at Albany Health Campus as part of a $4.1 million commitment that will see care available closer to home for mothers who give birth to preterm babies.
Once complete, the new nursery will be equipped to care for preterm babies from 34 weeks as well as newborns with complex health issues.
The Cook Government is also bolstering the nursery's workforce with an additional 5.7FTE of senior nurses working in collaboration with specialist paediatric doctors who will oversee the nursery.
Existing nursery capacity will be doubled to four bays as part of the redevelopment. It will be commissioned in phases across 2024-25 to support the more than 550 babies born at the facility each year.
The project builds on the Cook Government's commitment to delivering healthcare closer to home in regional WA. Great Southern residents have recently benefitted from a new state-of-the-art radiation oncology facility, the expansion of mental health crisis services for children and adolescents and an increase to the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme's fuel subsidy.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"This expansion is a game changer for families in the Great Southern, that will see more mums and babies receiving specialised care without having to travel to Perth.
"It means new parents can stay close to home and be near their support networks in those crucial first weeks.
"It's part of my commitment to building our regions and ensuring every Western Australian can access high quality healthcare, regardless of where they live."
As stated by Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"Once complete, the new Special Care Nursery will be able to support preterm babies born at 34 weeks at double its current capacity.
"That means some mothers and babies will be able to remain closer to home instead of transferring to the metropolitan area either before or after baby is born.
"We're also bolstering our workforce with additional senior nurses joining Albany Health Campus' highly regarded obstetric and paediatric team."
Comments attributed to Albany MLA Rebecca Stephens:
"Both of my children were born at the Albany Health Campus, so I have first-hand experience of the incredible standard of care and the service offered here.
"This initiative is so welcomed by the Albany and Great Southern communities, with the Level 2 Special Care Nursery catering to complex cases and preterm newborns from 34 weeks.
"It means fewer families will need to travel to Perth for specialist care, keeping families close to home at this special time, and with 550 babies born at the Albany Health Campus each year, that is a big win for our community as part of the Cook Labor Government's $4.1 million investment in the Great Southern."
