MORE than 100 jobs could be slashed from both Sydney children's hospitals over the next four years, as hospital management are told they must find $3.3 million in savings per year.
The health service agreement for the Sydney Children's Hospital Network, which covers the Children's Hospital at Westmead and the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick, shows a $3.3 million labour expense saving will be imposed - which adds up to 135 full-time jobs over a four-year period.
Nurses are exempt from the cuts, but NSW Nurses Association president Brett Holmes said cuts of this magnitude would reduce the quality of care young patients receive.
"Whenever a labour expense cap is imposed, somebody has to pick up the work. Our experience over many years of these efficiencies demanded of the health system, is that it ends up that the person at the critical point is expected to carry the extra load," Mr Holmes said.
"You still need all the other people in hospitals, around nurses, to deliver frontline services."
Opposition Leader John Robertson said the job cuts would be felt deeply by sick children and their families.
"Children's hospitals are the last places that should be forced to go without funding and expert staff, but that is exactly what is happening under Barry O'Farrell," Mr Robertson said.
"It takes an incredibly low government to cut funding and dedicated workers from the hospitals that care for the sickest children in the state."
Mother-of-two Kara Banister, 26, was in and out of hospital from the ages of four to 16 with severe asthma. Her daughter Rubei, 2, suffers from the same condition and will also spend much of her childhood in hospital.
Mrs Banister, who is now a nurse, said the combination of nurses, social workers and teachers were invaluable to her recovery.
"I don't think I would have gone through it. It's not just the doctors and nurses that help a child thrive, it's the team of people who work together," Mrs Banister said.
"My daughter is a severe asthmatic as well, so I am absolutely infuriated."
Health minister Jillian Skinner said she would make sure sick kids were not affected by budget measures
“I will never compromise the health of sick children which is why the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network budget went up almost $17 million this year to $589 million,’’ Ms Skinner said.
“As stated clearly in the Budget in June, all portfolios across the NSW Government have been tasked to make these labour expense cap savings to restore the state’s finances and ensure we live within our means.”
Sydney Children's Hospital Network chief executive Elizabeth Koff denied the labour expense cap would automatically equal many job losses.
"Savings do not necessarily equate to positions lost as they may include smarter ways of working and lessening the reliance on contractors and locums and other unnecessary expensive labour costs," Ms Koff said.
"We are continually working on initiatives to improve efficiency and direct more funds to frontline services."
Mr Holmes said the expense cap would impact negatively on the time nurses can spend with patients.
"Our members in children's hospitals are saying they do have a high workload and high expectations - and they've certainly been pushing us to address those issues," he said.
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