Critically ill babies are being placed in cots in storerooms as a major hospital grapples with a shortage of space
- The neonatal ICU at Westmead Hospital is grappling with a shortage of space
- Sick babies have been reportedly put in cots in storerooms and office spaces
- Some babies have even been reportedly relocated to the 'grieving room'
Sick babies have reportedly been put in cots in storerooms and offices at a major Sydney hospital because nurses are unable to accommodate them elsewhere.
The neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) at Westmead Hospital does not have enough cot space for critically ill newborns, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
This has led to babies being put in overflow cots in offices and storerooms in the hospital, located in the city's west.
Some babies have been relocated to the 'grieving room' which is normally used for parents to say goodbye to their terminally ill babies, the publication reported.
Sick babies have been reportedly put in cots in storerooms and offices at the neonatal intensive care unit at Westmead Hospital, in Sydney's west (stock image)
The hospital's nurses are reportedly struggling to look after the sick newborns when cots are scattered in offices and store rooms outside the main ICU.
Westmead Hospital nursing director Kate Hackett said the ICU has been under pressure following a recent increase in premature babies requiring surgery.
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As a result, the layout of the ICU is being put under review.
Ms Hackett told The Sunday Telegraph: 'So that we can better use our space and resources in response to the changing healthcare requirements and growing demand, an architectural review has commenced to review the layout of our NICU'.
The neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) at Westmead Hospital (pictured), in Sydney's west, is suffering with a shortage in room for critically ill newborns
