Independent Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby says today’s arrival of a transition team at Northern Beaches Hospital is a critical step in ending the failed public private partnership and bringing the hospital into public hands.
“This is a critical shift in undoing the failed public private partnership that we’ve been fighting for, to make Northern Beaches Hospital a publicly run hospital, run in the interests of patients and staff,” Ms Scruby said.
The government revealed this morning that a milestone had been reached with a transition assessment and planning (TAP) team from the Northern Sydney Local Health District being sent to Northern Beaches Hospital. Health Minister Ryan Park confirmed that the government would prefer a negotiated outcome, but would use recent legislation if that is not achieved.
From today, a NSW Health transition team will spend four weeks inside the hospital to:
- map how the hospital operates day-to-day
- review IT systems and digital health integration
- understand staffing structures and skill mix
- align clinical governance and adverse event reporting with NSW Health.
The team will focus on clinical and operational work and will ensure the hospital continues to function while the groundwork for transition is laid.
“I want to reassure staff and patients that there will be no disruption to existing service provision. The staff at the hospital are dedicated and professional and have continued to work professionally under challenging circumstances,” Ms Scruby said.
“As of today, we have boots on the ground undertaking the necessary due diligence to review systems and reporting - key problem areas identified in the audit of the hospital. We are finally getting visibility over systems that the community and government have never had under the public private partnership operated by Healthscope.”
Ms Scruby acknowledged Healthscope’s cooperation in signing an agreement that allowed the process to begin. Healthscope has been in receivership since May. There is no timeline for the transition available yet.
Today’s announcement follows the July passage of Member for Wakehurst, Michael Regan’s Health Services Amendment (Northern Beaches Hospital Deed Termination) Bill 2025, which gives the Minister for Health the power to terminate the deed with Healthscope if negotiations fail.
“Together with independent Member for Wakehurst Michael Regan, we have been successful in calling for greater transparency and accountability through Independent Audits, NSW Parliamentary inquiries and legislation. This transition team is the next step in resolving many of the issues that have been found through those processes.”
“My position is clear - with a growing and ageing population the NSW Government should buy the whole hospital, not just public services.”