NSW government to take control in $190 million deal
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The hospital will be under the direct control of the North Sydney Local Health District, which oversees other key public health services including the Royal North Shore Hospital.
Minns said the transition would likely happen in mid-2026: “Once we can integrate all staffing and all the back-end logistics and processes within the hospital into our public system, because we need to make those consistent with all the other major hospitals in NSW.”
Senior doctors have warned that removing private services would lead to service closures, longer surgical waiting lists and increased pressure on the public system. Australian Medical Association NSW President Dr. Kathryn Austin said any suggestion the hospital would become a fully public business would be a “slap in the face” to the community.
Minns’ office said the government “will also consult closely with clinicians to determine future clinical services and an operating model, including the role of specialty services in the hospital footprint.”
Minns’ office said all clinical and support staff working at the hospital would be offered jobs at the hospital by NSW Health.
one in april NSW auditor general’s report finds hospital Warnings about risks to patient safety and outcomes were not acted upon. A. separate independent probe It found staff had “high awareness” of the hospital’s contract with the government, which could create tension between financial obligations and clinical priorities.
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the deal delivered a publicly run hospital that put patients before profits for the local community and provided value for money at $190 million.
“The government was clear from the outset that there would be no windfall for Healthscope,” Mookhey said.
The Association of Australian Salaried Medical Officers (ASMOF) NSW welcomed the news and President Dr. Nicholas Spooner said the transition to public control would be critical in tackling this problem. long standing understaffing, overwork and burnout issues.
“NSW people expect their government to lead, invest and deliver on public health, not outsource it to private providers who are only interested in profit,” Spooner said.
Health Minister Ryan Park said this is the beginning of a transition that will not be without its challenges, “but patient safety is at the very heart of this hand in public ownership.”
More to come
