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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