What the Northern Beaches Hospital offers private patients compared to public patients

REVEALING COMPARISON: Public patients are being excluded from some state-of-the-art operations available to private-paying patients at the new Northern Beaches Hospital.

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

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PUBLIC patients are being excluded from some state-of-the-art operations available to private paying patients at Northern Beaches Hospital, it can be revealed.

Bosses at Healthscope told the Manly Daily that some operations using the latest technology such as robotic arms for knee and hip transplants are only available to private patients.

That also goes for cardiovascular and neurology procedures - for the time being at least.

Public patients will instead go to Royal North Shore Hospital.

CEO of Healthscope Gordon Ballantyne, MP Brad Hazzard, CEO of NBH Deborah Latta, Surgeon Stuart Pincott and Medical Director of NBH Louise Messara out the front of the new Northern Beaches Hospital. Picture: Adam Yip

Louise Messara, medical director at NBH, said there were a number of restricted services that the state had excluded from public patients, as well as some other complex surgeries.

Public patients can get a diganostic angiogram, like private patients, but can only get more complex interventional cardiology if they are an admitted patient at the time, otherwise they will go to Royal North Shore.

Ms Messara said they would eventually like to provide a full service to all public and private patients.

“Healthscope is keen to provide all services to all patients on the northern beaches,” she said.

“We will be directed by Northern Sydney Local Health District as to what we can provide for public patients, but we are willing to do so.”

On November 5, the hospital celebrated the first robotic knee replacement surgery conducted on the northern beaches.

The state-of-the-art equipment costing around $1.8m is available at the hospital — but only to private patients.

Public patients are being excluded from some state-of-the-art operations available to private paying patients at Northern Beaches Hospital,Picture: Julie Cross.

Orthopaedic surgeon Julian Yu said the operation was not previously available at Manly or Mona Vale hospitals and private patients had to travel to the private Mater Hospital for it.

He said it was exciting to have the machinery on the peninsula.

“We have this technology on the beaches now which is amazing,” Dr Yu said.

He said the robot was able to cut more accurately than any human surgeon’s hand.

“We can fine tune the joint replacement a lot better,” Dr Yu said.

“We can be much more accurate and much more personalised in our joint replacements.

“Robotic surgery is the next evolution of technology

“It’s certainly the way of the future.”

A spokesman for NSLHD said all the acute healthcare services previously provided at Manly and Mona Vale hospitals were available at the new Northern Beaches Hospital.

“NSW Health is working with Northern Beaches Hospital to extend its specialist cardiology services for procedures including stents for both public and private patients,” a spokesman said.

“Implementation will be staged in consultation with senior clinicians who specialise in these complex interventions. Patient safety is, as always, the priority.

“The public health system is built on a network of hospitals and some of those have particular expertise that doesn’t extend to other public hospitals.

A generic shot of Mona Vale Hospital. Picture: (AAP IMAGE / Damian Shaw)

“Accordingly, complex heart and neuro surgery will be done at Royal North Shore Hospital as it has been for many years. In that way, the public health system ensures that the most expert public health physicians can deliver world class public health outcomes.

“As a major hospital, it is also providing more complex and specialist healthcare to the local community than was previously available on the northern beaches, and there is the potential to offer even more services in the future.”

Some of the more complex maternity, emergency, intensive care and surgical services are being provided, as well as a range of imaging and diagnostic services. This means the community can access specialist services closer to home, including MRI and high level pathology services.

Other examples of extra services include the capacity to care for pregnant women giving birth from 32 weeks (previously 34); more specialised orthopaedic surgery; and plastic surgery (not previously available at Manly or Mona Vale hospitals).

“All hospital patients will be provided with high-quality and safe healthcare and access to lifesaving treatment will be provided to everyone regardless of whether they choose to enter hospital as a public or private patient,” a spokesman said.