Media Release | 10 September 2026
Hon. Rob Horstman MLC
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services
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.”
ENDS
