Claims extracted
22
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
5%
1 of 22 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans strongly left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
67/100
ABC News (AU)'s corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Health
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
In short:
Staffing issues are threatening to undermine a $50 million dollar expansion of Victoria's largest children's hospital.
asserted
issues → threaten → hospital
Twenty new emergency beds at the Royal Children's Hospital will not be able to take patients because no funding was provided to staff them.
What's next?
asserted
What → take → them
It is understood one solution being explored is transferring staff from other areas of the hospital.
asserted
solution → understand → hospital
Victoria's major children's hospital will not be able to use 20 new beds provided under a multi-million-dollar expansion because there is currently no funding for extra staff to operate them.
asserted
staff → use → them
The new emergency department beds were promised under a $50 million upgrade of the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) announced by the state government in 2018.
asserted
beds → promise → 2018
The expansion is nearing completion, but hospital sources have told the ABC the new beds will not be operational because no additional funding was provided for extra staff needed to operate them.
It is understood one solution being explored is transferring staff from other areas of the hospital.
asserted
solution → near → hospital
Staff say they are devastated by this development, with some displaying signs around the emergency department as part of protected industrial action as pay negotiations continue.
asserted
negotiations → say → action
One of the signs said the "extension looks lovely but no money for extra staff required".
asserted
money → say → staff
Another poster apologised to patients for "the long wait", explaining that the emergency department has below-average staffing and beds for a facility that treats about 90,000 patients per year.
asserted
that → apologise → year
It cited Australasian College for Emergency Medicine suggesting an average equivalent department has 50 per cent more doctors, 40 per cent more nurses, 60 per cent more beds to treat patients and 110 per cent more beds for those who need to stay longer.
asserted
who → cite → those
An email shared among senior medical staff detailed ongoing frustration and disappointment among colleagues with the "imminent completion of our ED expansion but with no prospect of being able to staff and open those areas due to a lack of funding".
asserted
email → share → funding
The email said that staff had spent years dealing with under-resourcing and rapidly growing demand that exceeded the number of patients the facility was built for.
asserted
facility → say → patients
"We can be honest with each other and accept that despite our best efforts, the standard of care we would like to deliver and believe our patients deserve was being compromised," the email said.
asserted
email → accept → care
"By 2018 we were seeing over 80,000 children a year and an acknowledgement made by the Victorian government that we needed to expand by an additional 20 beds — effectively a 50 per cent increase."
asserted
we → see → increase
The email said RCH executives had been supportive of staff concerns and acknowledged that only more staff could bring the beds online.
uncertain
staff → say → beds
The Australian Medical Association of Victoria said it was aware of the situation and had spoken to concerned staff.
asserted
it → say → staff
"We're extremely concerned that the RCH is already underfunded and under-supported with treatment spaces," president Simon Judkins said.
"
asserted
Judkins → support → spaces
Clearly this investment in 20 treatment spaces without staff is going to continue to ensure that the growing demands in the ED are not going to be met, and stress on staff is going to continue.
asserted
stress → go → staff
"This follows the pattern of this government putting money into building things but not supporting the staff to do the job, and we've seen this time and time again."
asserted
we → follow → this
The hospital, the state health department and Health Minister Ingrid Stitt were contacted for comment but did not respond to specific questions about the funding issue.
asserted
hospital → contact → issue
A Victorian government spokesperson said Labor was "working closely with the hospital to transition services into the expanded emergency department once works are complete".
asserted
works → say → department
An RCH spokesperson said the hospital was working with the health department to "provide improved access to emergency care for children and young people".
asserted
hospital → say → children
The Aporia
