Neonatal Intensive Care Upgrade Begins

South Australian families are set to receive better healthcare, closer to home, from a new and improved Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with building works now underway at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Minister for Health and Wellbeing Stephen Wade said the final stage of the Neonatal Nursery redevelopment was part of a $50 million upgrade being carried out throughout the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH).

“The Marshall Liberal Government is determined to build what matters to South Australian families and the significant upgrade and expansion of this intensive care unit is helping us to deliver on that commitment,” Minister Wade said.

“South Australian families are already benefiting from the completed first stage of the project which is providing enhanced care.

“The redevelopment of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will provide further support to some of our most vulnerable newborn babies and their families.”

“We have invested heavily to ensure South Australian women and children continue to receive world-class care in modern facilities as we plan for the new hospital.

“Since it was elected just over two years ago, the Marshall Liberal Government has been addressing the neglect of the Women’s and Children Hospital.

“To deliver quality services now we have provided $65 million more operational funding, employed 100 FTE more employees, and injected $50m of capital works into the current site.”

Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN) Head of Neonatal Medicine, Bevan Headley, said the NICU will deliver a larger treatment space which will benefit patients, their families and the staff who care for them.

“This upgrade will allow us to provide increased family centred care and the best possible facilities to our most vulnerable patients,” Dr Headley said.

“It will provide a healing and supportive environment and will include a family care room where families can stay overnight. The room will also feature a separate entrance for further privacy.

“While these works are underway, we will make sure our patients and families are kept as comfortable as possible and will provide tiny earmuffs for our patients if required.”

WCHN CEO, Lindsey Gough, said the upgraded space will help to improve patient privacy and infection control while making families feel more at home.

“We are excited to see building works begin on the final stage of the Neonatal Nursery redevelopment which will allow us to continue to deliver high quality care and services to our patients and their families,” Ms Gough said.

“These essential upgrades will sustain our current hospital while we continue to plan for the new purpose-built hospital to be co-located with the Royal Adelaide Hospital.”

The NICU upgrade is scheduled to be completed in the second half of next year.

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