The NSW government has reached an agreement in principle to buy back the Northern Beaches Hospital from private operator Healthscope. The decision follows the death of a young patient and growing concerns over the hospital’s public-private model, prompting calls for full public control.

Northern Beaches Council

The New South Wales government has agreed in principle to pay $190 million to Healthscope's receivers to regain full control of the Northern Beaches Hospital. This decision follows the death of Joe Musser, who died after being incorrectly triaged at the hospital, prompting his parents to campaign against the public-private partnership model.

All 494 hospital beds are set to become public, with staff offered roles within NSW Health. While the transition aims to address systemic failures, concerns remain about the future of private surgeries at the hospital. The deal still requires approval from Healthscope's creditors, and both government and opposition acknowledge the complexity of the process.

NSW government to take full control of Northern Beaches Hospital

A little boy's shoes mark a big step forward. Joe will leave behind footprints that we will never forget. Joe Musser died after being incorrectly triaged at the Northern Beaches Hospital last year. His grieving parents have since worked tirelessly to expose the systemic failures of the public-private model. This is a model of healthcare that should never see the light of day again. Thanks to Joe's law, it won't. And now the government has struck a deal to take back control of the Northern Beaches Hospital too. It's agreed in principle to pay Healthscope's receivers $190 million. We are effectively returning the money that they put in to build the building. All 494 beds would become public by mid-next year, and staff offered roles with NSW Health. But a hospital which conducts more than 20,000 private surgeries every year in an area with much higher private health insurance rates compared to the state average, critics fear valuable private services could be lost. With no word yet on how they would be incorporated into the public hospital. We will have challenges. We cannot pretend that this will be easy, but we're up for the task. A complex untangling, one the government blames on the opposition who allowed it to be built over a decade ago. They need to say to the community three words, we are sorry. They say they have. We have been genuine, we have been empathetic, we have been engaged, and we've been working constructively with this government. Even with bipartisan support, the deal is far from being done. It still needs approval from Healthscope's creditors. And while the government can terminate the contract no matter what, it says a negotiated outcome would make for a smoother transition. No matter the path, the end goal is clear. We don't want anyone else going through what we have gone through. Tallulah Thompson, 10 News.

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