- Published:
- Saturday 12 September 2026
The Carroll Labor Government is making sure babies and mums in Melbourne’s west get the care they need.
Six new Special Care Nursery cots are now operating at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital, with another three opening later this year.
The new cots will care for more than 300 babies requiring specialist care each year.
It’s part of a $249 million investment to ease pressure on one of Victoria’s busiest maternity hospitals.
The new cots will be supported by around 50 healthcare workers delivering this important specialist care.
Labor is also extending and expanding the successful Neonatal Postnatal Support Nurse pilot at major maternity hospitals.
It sees registered nurses working alongside midwives to focus on caring for newborns who may need treatment for conditions such as jaundice.
Providing this care on the postnatal ward means mothers and newborns can stay together in the critical early days.
Backed by an $8.1 million investment, the pilot will now operate at:
- Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital (existing site)
- Werribee Mercy Hospital (existing site)
- University Hospital Geelong (existing site)
- Mercy Hospital for Women Heidelberg (new site)
- Monash Medical Centre Clayton (new site)
- The Royal Women’s Hospital (new site)
The program will give registered nurses hands-on experience in newborn care, supporting pathways into further study and helping grow Victoria’s midwifery workforce.
Labor is backing our nurses and midwives and supporting working families with the care they need, closer to home.
This is all at risk. The Liberal-One Nation Coalition $40 billion cuts plan means nursing jobs slashed, hospitals closed and Victorians put at risk.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ingrid Stitt
“Labor is making sure every new baby get the best possible start, and every Victorian family gets specialist care close to home.”
“These new cots mean hundreds more babies can get specialist care at Joan Kirner, close to their mums and families.”
Quote attributable to Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman
“These new cots mean more than 300 babies born in the west can get the specialist care they need, closer to home and to their families.”