WA's New Women and Babies Hospital Plans Criticized by Doctors
Plans for the new Women and Babies Hospital in Western Australia have been criticized by doctors, who claim the government's decision to build it far from existing facilities is a mistake. The hospital's location has raised concerns about the transfer of high-risk babies to Perth Children's Hospital.
Plans to manage high-risk births at Western Australia's new Women and Babies Hospital have been criticized by the doctors' lobby, who say the government is "doubling down on a wrong decision".
The hospital is being built next to Fiona Stanley Hospital in Murdoch, approximately 20 kilometers from Perth Children's Hospital (PCH), where some infants will require transfer for specialist care. Medical professionals and parents have expressed concerns about the distance, advocating for the hospital to be constructed on the QEII campus in Nedlands to facilitate easier transfers to PCH and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
The government maintains that relocating the hospital is not feasible due to potential disruptions to other hospitals on the site or intolerable delays. Instead, they have outlined plans to expand existing services to alleviate concerns.
Upgrades to Paediatric Services
Paediatric services at Fiona Stanley Hospital will be upgraded, including additional specialist staff and services, and a second Newborn Emergency Transport Service (NETS) base will be established for babies requiring transfer from the new hospital.
"We've heard from clinicians that the time for the baby to reach the NETS team is a key consideration," Health Minister Meredith Hammat said. "These are specialised staff, these are like mobile intensive care units and so they do provide that critical opportunity to stabilise a baby and transport them, so that is why we're making the decision about having a base here."
The government also believes that locating a team at Murdoch will improve the timely transfer of babies from regional hospitals, as it is closer to Jandakot Airport where Royal Flying Doctor Service aircraft land.
Additional Beds and Services
Around $95 million has been allocated to add 19 beds to PCH's neonatal intensive care unit. Two adult beds will be added to handle a "very small number of cases" where women require birthing at the children's hospital.
A new high-risk birthing unit is set to be constructed at Perth Children's Hospital.
A consultation report from November 2025 revealed that clinicians rejected the idea of creating a smaller "satellite" facility for births at PCH due to clinical safety risks, limited workforce sustainability, and fragmentation of services.
Ms. Hammat stated that few women would give birth at PCH, saying, "It would only apply in those circumstances, a small number of circumstances, where a parent might also need to continue to receive treatment."
Ongoing Concerns
Australian Medical Association WA president Kyle Hoath said that while the government's announcements were welcome, the medical profession still prefers the new hospital to be built at the QEII site.
"I appreciate that it's a full site that's difficult to make those allowances on, but this isn't good enough," he said. "We have a separation of services that need to be next to each other."
Opposition Health spokesperson Libby Mettam also advocates for a maternity hospital at the QEII site, stating that the government's plans are "flawed".
"It will still require a 20-kilometre journey for neonates requiring high-risk surgery at Perth Children's Hospital," she said.
Dr. Hoath mentioned that his members believe between 100 and 200 babies a year will need to be transferred to PCH.