Paediatrician and NSW state coordinator of Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service Dr. Andrew Berry has censured February 21, 2012 the current child hospital transfer system, after an investigation into the death of a four-year-old girl found that hospital emergency teams do not have enough autonomy in handling such cases.

Chanel Costa passed away July 18, 2008 after her transfer to Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick. Her parents Stephen and Angela Costa rushed her three days before to Nepean Hospital after she fell ill for around 10 days, shaking while asleep and having a temperature reading near 40 degrees.

Attempts to transfer the girl to the Children's Hospital at Westmead failed after the unavailability of ICU beds. Chanel was finally transferred to Sydney's Children Hospital at Randwick only after another 13 hours had passed.

Dr. Berry told Glebe Coroner's Court that his office was phoned by individual hospitals to get permission for using sirens on an ambulance for transferring sick children. He also told Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes the staff had met difficulty in determining who had responsibility for a patient, in communicating their concerns and the updating of diagnosis during transfer coordination.

However, he said it was necessary for the child to be transferred due to the unavailability of senior doctors at Nepean Hospital.

Dr. Berry also told the police sergeant assisting the coroner that emergency teams often favoured transfer by ambulance instead of helicopter due to the availability of more treatment options on the way to hospital.

The investigation continues.