Breaking News
'Death trap' hits morale
JANE IGOE
Wednesday 7 May, 2008 5:01pm
HUMPTY Dumpty Foundation chairman Paul Francis has defended staff at the Royal North Shore Hospital's children's ward, which was labelled a "death trap".
Mr Francis said news that the ward was a fire hazard had added to the stress for patients, families as well as "long suffering" staff.
The ward will be closed and patients transferred to other wards when work begins on flaws in the airconditioning system, where fire retardant had not been coated in the vents.
Firefighters described the situation and the risk to patients as "catastrophic".
Over the past 10 years, the Humpty Dumpty Foundation has donated millions of dollars' worth of vital medical equipment to the ward, which was renamed in the charity's honour.
"Despite yet another controversy, the hospital and its doctors and staff deserve our praise," Mr Francis told the Daily.
"These people are incredibly hardworking, compassionate and dedicated and they are working in very difficult situations."
Mr Francis said the staff were "professional" and all the negative publicity about the hospital affected their morale.
He said almost all the problems at the hospital were not to do with professional staff.
"It's certainly not related to their efforts they are doing a great job," he said.
The State Opposition has called on the government to assess all state hospitals for airconditioning problems and issue a safety audit.
"I think it would be fair to say this government and Health Minister Reba Meagher can not run the health network in NSW," North Shore MP and Opposition health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner said.
"After 13 years it should be a well-oiled machine but instead it's lurching from one crisis to another."
Mrs Skinner said the building housing the Humpty Dumpty ward also had the emergency department, the maternity and birthing wing, the newborn care centre and burn injury unit.
A spokeswoman for Ms Meagher said the Douglas Building, which houses the children's ward, was certified as compliant when handed over by the builders in 2003.
