Claims vital policies for very sick patients are not in place at Northern Beaches Hospital

It’s another day, another drama at the Northern Beaches Hospital, with claims relevant patient policies still need to be put in place, which had prompted staff to write up their own procedures.

Exterior of Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest. Picture: Julie Cross.

• Northern Beaches Hospital: Operator accepts Brookfield takeover
• Developer submits Northern Beaches Hospital boarding house plan

Staff at Northern Beaches Hospital say they are still waiting for vital policies on how to deal with very sick patients.

The private operator Healthscope refuted the claims saying there were thousands of policies in place from day one, including relevant NSW Ministry of Health policies.

Double rooms in the public section of the Northern beaches Hospital. Picture: Adam Yip / Manly Daily

And, it said the joint private and public hospital at Frenchs Forest had also implemented policies and procedures already in place at the operator’s 42 other private hospitals.

However, staff say the lack of specific and relevant Northern Beaches Hospital policies is the problem, which unlike other Healthscope hospitals, deals with unpredictable and very sick public patients.

This week a Healthscope spokesman said Northern Beaches Hospital policies were an “ongoing focus”.

“We acknowledge that further development of NBH policies and procedures is an important and ongoing focus, and NBH has appointed a dedicated project manager to oversee this program,” he said.

New food court of Northern Beaches Hospital. Picture: Adam Yip / Manly Daily

A nurse told the Manly Daily that Healthscope policies are not geared to complex medical public patients.

“They are more aimed at the usual private load of ‘well surgical patients’.”

She said, for example, there were no policies in place that she could find on how to how to order complex diets or discharge complex patients home who need rehab or nursing home care.

She said policies were important to guide staff with everything including how to get a body to a mortuary.

“I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “Nor did the person in the mortuary. We sort of came up with a plan together.”

Another source reiterated that there were few relevant Northern Beaches Hospital policies and claimed senior staff were writing their own.

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association general secretary Brett Holmes. Picture: David Swift

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association general secretary Brett Holmes told the Manly Daily that it was his understanding that there was some work underway in progressing these policies.

“People are operating under the basis of what they understand to be public health policy,” he said.

“There is some confusion or inadequate information to staff about public health policies Healthscope has adopted.”

In a response to a request for how many Northern Beaches Hospital policies there were Healthscope only released the combined total of policies for Northern Beaches Hospital and Healthscope, which is 630.

The exterior at the new Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest. Picture: Julie Cross.

The figure for the number of Northern Beaches Hospital policies was not provided.

A Healthscope spokesman said that all staff were sent an email each month outlining new and updated hospital policies.

He said a review of hospital policies and procedures is “a standard component” of the accreditation process.

“NBH was successfully assessed between November 7 and 9 last year and demonstrated its policies met the criteria on opening of the hospital.”

The spokesman said on the issue of mortuary processes, the hospital had a clear policy which informs staff of the correct procedure.

A spokesman for NSW Health Education and Training Institute (HETI) which is responsible for assessing hospitals in NSW who have junior doctors working in the first two years after their graduation, confirmed Northern Beaches Hospital has provisional accreditation.

“Follow up visits occur as part of HETI’s standard assessment processes,” the spokesman said.

Understanding hospital policies

•All public hospitals have a general plan of action for clinical and general procedures to help guide staff. They include both general NSW Ministry of Health policies and importantly, ones that are specific to the individual hospital.

•Private hospitals also have their own policies relevant to their individual hospitals

•Policies are useful in helping a hospital run efficiently and ensure patients have the best outcome