Labor ‘won’t rule out’ taking over Northern Beaches Hospital

Opposition health spokesman Walt Secord said the Frenchs Forest-based hospital had ‘lurched from crisis to crisis’ and he has sounded out what he plans to do about it, if elected.

• New Northern Beaches Hospital owner could lead to staff sackings
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Labor would not rule out purchasing the Northern Beaches Hospital from its private owner if elected in the March State Election.

Opposition health spokesman Walt Secord said the Frenchs Forest-based hospital had “lurched from crisis to crisis” and argued northern beaches families deserved better.

Opposition health spokesman Walt Secord. Picture: Sue Graham.

“If elected one of the first things I will do is examine the contracts and arrangements that have been made,” he said of the private-public partnership.

Asked if he would consider buying out owner Brookfield and taking the hospital into public hands, he said: “I can’t make any commitments until I have seen those documents.

“But I can’t rule it out. I can’t rule it in either. It is something the community is very alive to.”

Health Minister Brad Hazzard dismissed the idea the hospital was in crisis as nonsense and said Labor was simply “trying to stir up class war on the northern beaches”.

“If anyone believes in what this lot is saying then they are prepared to believe in fairies at the bottom of the garden,” Mr Hazzard said.

Mr Secord MP was speaking following the release of Labor’s “five-point plan to improve patient care” at the hospital.

The Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest. Picture: Julie Cross.

He said he would give the independent Auditor-General the power to investigate and examine the running of the hospital.

He also pledged to appoint a “strong independent external monitor” and a “specialist support team” to oversee its running and conduct an investigation into ambulance services and staffing levels.

Labor’s Walt Secord said he would Mona Vale Hospital’s urgent care centre if elected. Picture AAP Images/ Adam Yip

He said Labor would probe Mona Vale Hospital’s urgent care centre to ensure that it is operating at an “appropriate level with appropriate staff and medical supplies and standards”.

Finally he pledged that under a Labor State Government there would be no further privatisations of hospitals or health services.

“Patient care is the main issue,” he said of Northern Beaches Hospital.

“Unfortunately, patients, doctors, nurses and health workers are the victims of a systemic failure at the Northern Beaches Hospital — and the Berejiklian Government’s obsession with the privatisation of health and hospitals.”

Mr Hazzard dismissed his opposite number’s claims, saying Labor’s track record on the peninsula spoke for itself.

“You just need to look at their record, State Labor has given us nothing here. They don’t know or care about the northern beaches,” Mr Hazzard said.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard. Picture: AAP Image/Jeremy Piper

“The hospital now has thousands of ambassadors who have been treated there who are saying how fantastic it is.

“The shadow minister is simply mouthing from a media report from Channel 7 from a few days ago which was based on a GIPA that finished two and a half weeks after the hospital opened when we know there were some teething problems.”

Mr Secord said there needed to be particular attention paid to Mona Vale Hospital which he claimed was “buckling under pressure” and did not have an appropriate level of staffing or supplies.

Mr Hazzard MP said the criticism was simply Labor playing politics.

“He knows absolutely nothing. He is just beating up rubbish. He doesn’t care about the northern beaches and neither does State Labor.”

Healthscope, which operates the hospital, defended its record.

“At Northern Beaches Hospital, we are delivering a level of high quality healthcare that was previously not available on the northern beaches, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our people,” a spokesman said.

Northern Beaches Hospital from above shortly as it nears completion. Picture: Nearmap

He said in the first 100 days of operation it had: Admitted more than 10,300 patients; treated more than 15,600 people its our emergency department; performed more than 3700 surgical procedures and delivered more than 460 babies.

“We are privileged to work with such an extraordinary team of almost 1500 people who are providing exceptional care to the northern beaches community every day,” teh spokesman said

“In the coming weeks and months, as we enter the next stage of our growth, opening more wards, beds and expanding our services, we will be looking for more staff to join our team.

“Since opening our staff numbers have increased by 62 per cent.

“We have achieved so much in our first few months of operation and we are proud of our incredible team as we continue to live our purpose of ‘we work together to provide better care.’”