Pittwater Online News:
The Audit Office of NSW Report released its report on the Northern Beaches Hospital on 17 April 2025, just before the Easter long weekend.
With Healthscope stating this wish to hand the public component of the hospital back to the New South Wales government, the report provides insights as to why Healthscope seeks to exit years before the contract to operate the public portion of the hospital in 20238.
The Northern Beaches Hospital has a total of 488 beds, with 60% of those as public beds, meaning 292 beds are designated for public patients. The remaining 40% (196 beds) are for private patients...
Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby stated:
''The Audit Office’s report provides an independent assessment of what we are hearing from the community - that the public private partnership is failing to deliver quality health care expected in the public health system and under the deed,’'
“This audit shows how public patients in our community are being let down. This was a failed Liberal Party experiment at the expense of patients. Emergency and public care should not be run by the for-profit sector.
“This report adds further strength and momentum to return public services to the public hands at the hospital, so we can have transparency, accountability and real-time oversight of the hospital’s performance and rebuild community confidence.
“We owe the brave parents of Joe Massa, the parents of baby Harper, and other patients who have been let down by the hospital to get this right.”
“This report, along with the current parliamentary inquiry, are building an overwhelming case for the NSW Government to act. The formation of a taskforce by the NSW treasurer this week to investigate Healthscope - the hospital’s operators who have said they are open to returning the public services to public control - show they mean business. This is a good sign.
“Joe’s Law that will prohibit future public private partnerships put forward by the NSW Government is a step in the right direction, but we still have to undo the partnership at the Northern Beaches Hospital.
“This whole process is going to be like unscrambling an egg and will take time. It needs to be done carefully and we need to protect patients, staff and make sure taxpayers are not delivering windfall profits to the current hospital owners. We can’t afford to get this wrong again.
Ms Scruby encouraged everyone who has a story to tell or an opinion to make a submission to the current NSW Parliamentary Inquiry.
“I keep seeing stories and comments on social media, but these will only have impact if they are submitted to the inquiry. This is an opportunity for the community to influence what happens next. I’m urging everyone to make a submission. It doesn’t have to be long. It can be made confidentially. Contact my office if you need help, but every voice will add to the weight of evidence piling up in support of returning public health services to public hands.”