Independent Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby says official confirmation that private services will continue at Northern Beaches Hospital ends uncertainty for patients, doctors and other staff and is a huge win for the community.

Ms Scruby received a letter from the Minister for Health confirming an extra-ordinary, temporary Commonwealth exemption will be placed on the hospital to allow private lists until 30 June 2027, post which arrangements for a co-located private hospital are being explored. 

“With the support of the Commonwealth Government, the NSW Government will continue the provision of private services at Northern Beaches Hospital until 30 June 2027 to ensure continuity of care, patient safety and maintain existing services for the community. This means that private patients will continue to be booked by their surgeon as they do now,” wrote the Hon. Ryan Park, MP, Minister for Health. A copy of the letter can be found here.

“This is the announcement we’ve been calling for. After the collapse of Healthscope, our community needed certainty about the continuity of private services — and this delivers it. Private doctors can continue their private lists, so patients can continue to choose and book the doctor they want, even when the NSW Government takes over the hospital in April. Doctors have been calling for this official correspondence and confirmation the opportunity for a co-located private hospital run by a private operator is assessed,’ Ms Scruby.said.

“It’s a huge win for the people of the Northern Beaches and the result we’ve been fighting for – a publicly owned, public hospital and co-located private services. 

“I want to acknowledge the advocacy of my colleague, Michael Regan MP for Wakehurst, and the genuine engagement from private doctors, the Australian Medical Association (AMA), and the NSW Government, to find a solution that delivers for the people of the Northern Beaches and for acknowledging my advocacy and that of others.

“I also thank Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health, and the Commonwealth Government for providing the exemption, and acknowledge the advocacy of Dr Sophie Scamps MP for Mackellar. This is a result of hard work by many people.”

“It’s been a long few months working closely with the AMA, Northern Beaches Clinicians Alliance and private doctors, since meeting them and in October 2025, to maintain pressure for today’s announcement, including a successful motion for private services passed in NSW Parliament,

“Focus will now shift to the long-term goal of a co-located private hospital run by a private operator as earmarked by the NSW Government. I’ll continue to fight for our community to ensure our health services go from strength to strength”, Ms Scruby concluded.