NSW Health Minister announces inquiry into Northern Beaches Hospital after tragic toddler death

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has announced a parliamentary inquiry into the safety and quality of care at Northern Beaches Hospital following the death of two-year-old Joe Massa.

The parents of a baby boy who died at Northern Beaches Hospital have welcomed a parliamentary inquiry into the safety and quality of health services at the facility, saying they are “thrilled” by the commitment.

Elouise and Danny Massa said the inquiry will help uncover the truth about the “tragic and avoidable” death of their two-year-old son Joe, who died in September last year following what they claim was a misdiagnosis and critical delays in treatment at Northern Beaches Hospital.

Ms Massa said the investigation would also help provide answers for the “dozens of families” who have reached out to the Massas with their own “harrowing experiences” from the facility.

“This is not only about Joe, but also for those families that are looking for answers as well,” Ms Massa said.

“This parliamentary inquiry will provide an opportunity to get the answers we all deserve about the repeated and unmitigated failings of Healthscope in the operations of the hospital.”

Two-year-old Joe Massa’s parents Elouise and Danny said a systemic failure by Northern Beaches Hospital led to their son’s preventable death. Picture: Supplied

Elouise and Danny Massa. Picture: Monique Harmer

“The Northern Beaches community currently don’t trust they can attend their local emergency department on their toughest day and receive the care and treatment they need. That needs to change.”

The commitment also comes less than a month after a newborn baby died during childbirth at Northern Beaches Hospital.

Northern Beaches Hospital. Picture: Brendan Read

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park ordered the NSW Public Accounts Committee to conduct a parliamentary inquiry into how the hospital responded to serious clinical incidents and REACH protocol on Friday.

The scope of the inquiry will stretch back to when the hospital became privately operated under Healthscope in October 2018 through a controversial public-private partnership with the NSW government.

Mr Park called for Healthscope to “participate fully” in the spirit of the independent inquiry to deliver better care for the Northern Beaches community.

“Whilst it won’t bring back Joe and and it won’t stop the heartache for the Massa family, their generosity of spirit to be such strong advocates at a time of unspeakable tragedy and grief means the government has also decided to take on what is a fairly incredible step and have a really long, hard look at this hospital,” Mr Park said.

“We understand the importance, particularly for the Massas but also the entire Northern Beaches community, that this is an inquiry that needs to be done properly [and] rapidly.”

Mr Park said the inquiry will focus on safety and healthcare quality compared to the 2019 parliamentary inquiry into the hospital, which concerned the private-public contract.

“We’ve said from the very beginning it’s not the form of healthcare service we would do going forward, but it is what’s in place in the Northern Beaches,” he said.

Health Services Union secretary Gerard Hayes said the inquiry was a “long time coming” amid repeated concerns the hospital was putting profits above patient care.

“The ideal outcome of the inquiry is that Northern Beaches hospital would return to being a fully public hospital. My concern would be that if it doesn’t, we’ll have more of the same,” he said.

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