Upper House Inquiry Report into Northern Beaches Hospital finds public private partnership model a failure
A NSW Upper House Committee Report handed down today into the Operation and Management of the Northern Beaches Hospital has recommended that demolition of the Mona Vale Hospital main building cease and that public private partnership models be abandoned for future hospitals in NSW, said member of the Committee, Greens MP and health spokesperson Cate Faehrmann.
“The opening of the Northern Beaches hospital was so disastrous that it has become notorious as an example of how not to open a hospital,” said Ms Faehrmann.
“The Committee believed that the way in which the hospital opened was inexcusable. While the private operator Healthscope should accept responsibility for this, so too should NSW Health and the Health Minister.
“The Committee was overwhelmed with evidence from doctors, nurses and other health specialists about the unacceptable conditions they faced during the weeks and months following the opening of the hospital.
“This Report reflects the significant impacts that the closure of Mona Vale Hospital has had on Northern Beaches residents including no longer having acute care services close to their homes.
“Closing a public hospital and replacing it with a private hospital that provides services to public patients will inevitably result in a two tier system and evidence heard during the Inquiry confirmed that this is what has happened with Northern Beaches hospital.
“The Government needs to heed the important recommendations of this Inquiry and abandon its failed public private partnership model for hospitals. Otherwise it may be forced to buy back hospitals when they fail at significant cost to the public purse, like they had to do for Port Macquarie Hospital,” said Ms Faehrmann.
Local Resident and Save Mona Vale Hospital spokesperson Miranda Korzy said:
"It’s no surprise that the inquiry has called for the NSW Gov to immediately take action to reopen the emergency department at Mona Vale Hospital and to halt demolition of the hospital’s main building as soon as the asbestos has been removed. The inquiry has confirmed what the community has been saying all along and has confirmed the many problems the Pittwater community have in reaching it for timely treatment."
The full report can be found here.
Contact: Ben Cronly | 0487 247 960