Subiaco Hospital’s mums and bubs’ centre canned as redevelopment shrinks

St John of God has abandoned plans to build a “world-class” mothers and babies’ centre as part of a major redevelopment at its flagship Subiaco hospital.

The original $311 million expansion included a clinical block, including 10 new birthing suites, a new neonatal intensive care unit and a new operating theatre.

The mothers and babies’ centre and new neonatal intensive care unit were billed as a major drawcard for the development, alongside a new heart centre, new operating theatres and larger hotel-style single rooms.

In April, St John of God moved the centre to the top two floors of the eight-storey development, but last month it successfully applied to the WA Planning Commission to remove those two storeys and, in the process, the mothers and babies’ centre.

Subiaco is one of the busiest private maternity wards in the state and the redeveloped centre was partially cited as St John of God’s reason to close maternity services at Mount Lawley in December 2023.

“Consolidating private maternity services at two sites will enable us to continue to develop and enhance our services with our highly skilled workforce,” St John of God Health Care Group chief executive Bryan Pyne said in November 2023.

“St John of God Subiaco Hospital has the capacity to provide these services and is well progressed with the planning to deliver a new eight-storey clinical facility that will include a world-class Mother and Baby Centre.”

Acting chief executive Vanessa Tran said the updated plan ensured the hospital could meet community health care needs while “making responsible and efficient use of resources”.

“Under Stage Three of the redevelopment, the clinical building will be a six-storey design and will no longer include a new Family Birthing Centre. Flexibility has been built into the plans to allow for future expansion if required,” she said.

Tran said the hospital already had significant maternity and newborn facilities.

“The hospital currently provides modern birthing suites, a dedicated operating theatre, single-room maternity wards and the State’s only private Neonatal Intensive Care Unit caring for babies born from 30 weeks gestation,” she said.

“St John of God Subiaco Hospital remains committed to maintaining its position as a centre of maternity excellence and will continue to invest in these areas to ensure the highest standards of safety, quality and comfort for patients and families.”

St John of God has been consolidating its maternity services in WA since 2023 following the decision to close the birthing unit at Mount Lawley in 2023 and last year’s decision to close the birthing centre at Bunbury Hospital.

The organisation cited a chronic shortage of employed midwives and decreasing availability of obstetricians, GP-obstetricians and paediatricians for both closures.

Health Minister Meredith Hammat said it was vital WA had a sustainable and enduring private hospital system.

“We know this is a challenge facing private hospital providers across all states and territories,” she said.

“We are focused on ensuring that all women have access to the maternity care they need.

“I know the Federal Government has been exploring options to address these challenges and we’ll work with them where we can to ensure the sector meets the needs of Western Australians.”

Health Consumers’ Council executive director Clare Mullen said the council would like to see private and public health service providers working together to put consumer interests at the centre of development plans to ensure there is a range of birthing and neonatal care options for WA families.

The revelation comes as the WA government continues canvassing the feasibility of a new maternity hospital at the Queen Elizabeth II site in Nedlands, which would deliver up to 2000 babies each year, despite the idea being routinely dismissed by the WA Labor government ahead of the most recent state election.

9News Perth and WAtoday have seen documents showing the North Metropolitan Health Service has canvassed the proposal, which would mitigate risks posed by the state government’s chosen location for its $1.8 billion women and babies hospital site in Murdoch.

However, Hammat was adamant there was no plan to build a maternity hospital in Nedlands.

“There has been some targeted discussions to ensure that we have appropriate services if they’re necessary in a central location. That consideration is ongoing,” she said.

with Connor McGoverne