Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital to cut jobs at cancer centre due to funding reduction

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital has told staff jobs are on the chopping block at its world class cancer centre, leaving families outraged and heartbroken. In leaked documents it’s been revealed more than a dozen jobs could be cut, days out from the hospital’s biggest fundraiser.

Transcript

00:00For the House family, two-year-old Daisy's diagnosis of an aggressive form of leukaemia

00:07has caused unimaginable pain.

00:09It's been a horrible journey. It's really hard to explain how horrible it's been.

00:15She's been receiving treatment at the Royal Children's Hospital Cancer Centre for the past 18 months,

00:21with the family devastated to hear job cuts at the centre could be on the horizon.

00:26This is the most important issue there is. Like, these kids, they've done nothing wrong.

00:31They're relying on us and, yeah, we're just letting them down as far as I'm concerned.

00:37A leaked hospital document has revealed plans to cut 13 roles, including a nurse consultant,

00:43clinical neuropsychologist, mental health clinician and an art therapist.

00:48It blames the cuts on a reduction in philanthropic funding.

00:52The allied health workers are crushed by this. I mean, it's totally distressing to them.

00:56They've committed their lives to working with the children.

00:59It's very short-sighted, it seems to us, that the Royal Children's Hospital would consider the mental health of its patients an optional extra.

01:09In an email to staff, the RCH acknowledged the news would be distressing and create uncertainty.

01:15The government says there have been no changes to the way it funds the hospital, but the opposition and the union want it to intervene.

01:23They are dedicated positions that provide support to these very sick kids and their families.

01:30And I think it's imperative that the government steps in to fix this issue.

01:34The Royal Children's Hospital says the plan is still being carefully considered and that children's care won't be compromised.

01:41And this afternoon it announced the Good Friday appeal will be funding the hospital's art therapy program.

01:48Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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