Rob Horstman

Nationals WA MP and Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Hon Rob Horstman MLC has called on the Cook Labor Government to explain how Western Australia’s emergency medical retrieval system will manage the additional demand created by locating the new Women and Babies Hospital away from Perth Children’s Hospital.

Mr Horstman said yesterday’s announcement of a new Newborn Emergency Transfer Service (NETS) hub at Murdoch highlighted how heavily the Government’s model would rely on emergency transfers.

“The Government is effectively acknowledging that transferring critically ill newborns between hospitals will be an unavoidable part of this model,” Mr Horstman said.

“These are not routine transfers. We are talking about some of the sickest and most vulnerable babies in Western Australia, where minutes can matter.”

The Government says NETS already transfers approximately 1,100 sick newborns and young infants each year and has announced a dedicated NETS hub at the new Murdoch hospital, alongside an expansion of the existing service at Perth Children’s Hospital.

Medical professionals have continued to raise concerns about separating maternity services from specialist paediatric care, with the Australian Medical Association WA estimating between 100 and 200 babies each year could require transfer from Murdoch to Perth Children’s Hospital.

Mr Horstman said the key issue was whether the Government had properly planned and resourced the retrieval network it was increasingly relying upon.

“We need to know how many additional transfers are anticipated, what extra specialist crews and vehicles will be required, and what contingency arrangements are in place when multiple critical cases occur at the same time.

“This is particularly important when the Government is pointing to Murdoch’s proximity to Jandakot Airport and retrieval services as an advantage for regional patients.

“Regional families already understand better than most what it means to depend on emergency medical transport to access specialist care in Perth.

“We cannot keep adding pressure to the retrieval network without ensuring the people, aircraft, vehicles and specialist resources are there to support it.

“This is not about the dedicated professionals who deliver these services every day. It is about whether the Cook Labor Government is providing the capacity and support needed to meet growing demand.”

Mr Horstman said the additional investment in neonatal services was welcome, but it should not be used to avoid legitimate questions about emergency transfer capacity.

“Western Australian parents deserve confidence that if their baby needs urgent specialist care, the system has the people, equipment and resources to respond immediately.

“The Cook Labor Government should release the modelling behind its transfer assumptions and explain how NETS, RFDS and the broader retrieval network will be supported from day one.”

Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Hon Julie Freeman MLC, has slammed the government for continuing to ignore regional health concerns, following repeated delays in transferring patients with serious medical conditions, including children.

“Yesterday we heard the shocking story of a ten-year-old Karratha boy who had already spent six days in hospital waiting for an RFDS flight to Perth for surgery. Today, another alarming case has emerged: an eight-year-old East Kimberley boy with serious head injuries took two days to get to Perth, after similar delays.”

These examples expose the Cook Labor Government’s failure to resource regional health and patient retrieval services. Ms Freeman said regional families should be able to expect timely access to care, regardless of where they live.

“Any delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment results in prolonged suffering and delayed recovery. The Cook Labor Government must prioritise either ensuring the medical treatment regional families need is available where they live, or ensuring prompt transfer to the nearest facility with the expertise required.

“Anything less is unacceptable. Regional Western Australians are tired of being an afterthought for this government. They deserve a health system that gets them the care they need, when they need it, just like in Perth.”

Ms Freeman said these two cases were symptomatic of a broader failure to deliver adequate regional health services.

“For families in regional WA, distance can already mean the difference between accessing care locally and having to travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres. Regional families should not be left waiting days for the care their children need.”

Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Hon Rob Horstman MLC said the delay pointed to a retrieval system stretched well beyond its capacity.

“This is not about blaming the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Their crews do extraordinary work every single day across an enormous State,” Mr Horstman said.

“This is about asking whether they have been given the resources and capacity necessary to meet the demands being placed upon them. The State Government needs to explain what it is doing to ensure RFDS and regional patient retrieval services have sufficient aircraft, crews, backup capacity and funding to meet demand.”

Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Hon Rob Horstman MLC says the Eucla Airstrip is a critical lifeline for one of Western Australia’s most remote communities.

He is calling on the Cook Labor Government to urgently progress it’s long-promised upgrade – warning the remote community should not be left waiting any longer for critical transport and emergency infrastructure.

“When rain falls at Eucla, the airstrip can become unusable for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), WA Police and emergency services. Even minor rainfall can render the unsealed runway dangerous, forcing aircraft to land on the Eyre Highway during medical emergencies,” says Mr Horstman.

While the State Labor Government committed $3.38 million in 2024, the project has failed to appear in recent State Budgets and construction has yet to commence.

Mr Horstman said the Government’s failure to honour its commitment was leaving remote communities exposed and delaying critical infrastructure they had long been promised.

“This is not a wish-list project—it’s essential infrastructure that can mean the difference between life and death. The Labor Government announced funding with great fanfare, yet there is no sign of the project progressing and no provision for it in recent State Budgets. Communities deserve answers.”

Mr Horstman said the consequences of further delays were well understood.

He said the Eucla community, emergency responders and the Shire of Dundas had advocated for the upgrade for more than a decade, highlighting its importance not only for local residents but also for the thousands of motorists travelling the Eyre Highway each year.

Mr Horstman calls on the State Government to immediately recommit funding, provide a clear construction timetable and deliver the long-overdue project.

“Regional Western Australians deserve the same access to safe emergency services as anyone living in Perth. The Government must stop making promises and start delivering.”