Neonatal care boost at Sandringham Hospital

In an agreement between Alfred Health and the Women's, with support from the Victorian Government, the Women's will assume the management of the Special Care Nursery from

5 September 2016. The nursery cares for newborns, and low-risk premature and unwell babies.

As part of the plan, the nursery will be refurbished and grown from six to eight cots - allowing more babies to be cared for close to home in Bayside Melbourne.

Shifting the operation of Special Care Nursery to the Women's is an important development in the ongoing partnership between the two health services that began with Sandringham Hospital's maternity and gynaecological services joining the Women's at Sandringham model in 2013.

Alfred Health chief executive, Prof Andrew Way said Alfred Health is proud of the quality of care that has been provided to families through the Special Care Nursery over many years.

"To be able to continue to provide this important service from Sandringham Hospital with the backing of a large neonatal service within a specialist hospital is a very positive result for our local community," Prof Way said.

Chief executive of the Women's, Dr Sue Matthews, said the transfer will see the service strengthened and more closely aligned with maternity care offered on the site.

The transition of the Special Care Nursery to the Women's extends on the series of successful service and infrastructure upgrades at Sandringham Hospital since 2012.

Changes have included the refurbished and expanded 24-hour emergency department, strengthened maternity services, improved the environment for children, upgraded wards and, now, existing plans and community campaign to build a $2.5m Day Procedure Centre.