Parliamentary Inquiry into Northern Beaches Hospital gets underway as legislation announced to ban future public private partnerships for acute hospitals
The commencement of the Parliamentary inquiry into the safety and quality of health services provided by Northern Beach Hospital, is a ‘significant moment for our community’, according to independents Michael Regan, Member for Wakehurst, and Jacqui Scruby, Member for Pittwater.
The two Northern Beaches MPs also backed NSW Government legislation announced today (27 March 2025) to ban the Northern Beaches Hospital public private partnership model ever being repeated. The Health Services Amendment (PPP Prohibition) Bill 2025 will prevent the NSW Government entering into a public private partnership for an acute hospital, but will have no direct impact on Northern Beaches Hospital.
‘We welcome the NSW Government’s legislation to stop the Northern Beaches Hospital model being rolled out in other parts of the state. But the reality is, the Northern Beaches community is still stuck with this public private pariah as our local public hospital,’ said Mr Regan.
The parliamentary inquiry and the PPP Prohibition Bill are part of the NSW Government’s response to recent tragic infant deaths at Northern Beaches Hospital.
The extensive terms of reference for the Parliamentary inquiry cover the financial, operational and clinical performance of the hospital, as well as the implementation of recommendations from a 2019 Parliamentary inquiry which also examined the controversial hospital. The inquiry will also take into account the Auditor General’s performance audit of the hospital, which is expected to be released soon.
Submissions to the inquiry opened this week and are open until the 20 May 2025. They will be followed by public hearings, a final committee report and a NSW Government response.
Mr Regan said, ‘The establishment of this parliamentary inquiry is a significant moment for our community on the Northern Beaches. Now, more than ever, we need more scrutiny of the Northern Beaches Hospital. More scrutiny of the private operator Healthscope, more scrutiny of the contract with the NSW Government, more scrutiny of individual’s experiences and more scrutiny of structural problems they expose.
‘This inquiry provides the profile and resources for the accountability our community is seeking. I am pleased to see that the terms of reference for the inquiry is broad in scope. This inquiry will help keep the performance of the private public Northern Beaches Hospital in the spotlight, where it belongs.’
Ms Scruby said, ‘Recent media stories of preventable infant deaths at the hospital have shocked us all. The families have shown great courage and conviction in speaking publicly about their experiences. In the wake of these deaths, community confidence in the hospital is deteriorating.
‘This Parliamentary inquiry is a crucial opportunity for everyone in our community, and all stakeholders, to come forward with their experiences and views.
‘Northern Beaches residents have every right to expect the same quality of services as other comparable public hospitals. This inquiry is an important step in ensuring this for our community.’
Mr Regan and Ms Scruby encouraged all interested individuals and groups to make submissions to the inquiry through the parliamentary inquiry webpage here.