Liberal Leader Libby Mettam has previously described the upcoming state election as a "referendum on newborn safety", drawing a clear line in the sand between her plan for the new maternity hospital and WA Labor's. But with bold claims from both parties - and differing opinions within WA's own medical community - the issue is far from clear cut.
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00:00King Edward Memorial Hospital in Subiaco is more than 100 years old.
00:08The major party is at odds over where its replacement should be.
00:12Some 200 newborn babies' lives will be put at risk with this move.
00:18The Liberals' plans for Women and Babies Hospital means that maternity services in
00:22Western Australia will go backwards.
00:25Despite initially earmarking a site at the QE2 Medical Centre in Nedlands, next to the
00:30Children's Hospital, in April of 2023 Labor backflipped, citing a business case detailing
00:37significant disruption, long construction timelines and cost blowouts.
00:41We'll now be building the new Women's and Babies Hospital here at Fiona Stanley Hospital
00:46on a greenfield site.
00:48But the Liberals vehemently oppose the move, adamant the almost 20 kilometre journey from
00:53Murdoch to PCH poses an unacceptable threat.
00:57The most critical issue here is the risk of death and disability associated with the Cook
01:04Labor Government's decision.
01:06She is leading a campaign of misinformation and is frightening prospective parents and
01:13I'm calling on her to stop.
01:15Both parties' plans for the hospital's location have been backed by medical experts.
01:20Some say Labor's move makes sense given current congestion at the QE2 site in Nedlands, while
01:27others agree with the Liberals citing travel distance as a major concern.
01:33Whether it's in Murdoch or Nedlands doesn't matter, what's important is that those babies
01:36can be born close to where life-saving surgery can be performed to reduce the risks associated
01:42with long transfers.
01:44Hospitals are really provided as regional social infrastructure, so they're not there
01:49to service the immediate area, they're actually being designed to service a huge population
01:55caption across the state.
01:57The major parties firm on their stance, the final decision left up to voters.