Northern Beaches Hospital private services in doubt as NSW government takes control

The Minns government is primed to announce the fate of private services at the Northern Beaches Hospital on Tuesday, as senior specialists warn a wholesale takeover by the public system would be disastrous for the community.

Staff were in the dark on Monday about the future of the hospital and its almost 200 private patient beds before the planned announcement, which was confirmed by health sector sources unauthorised to speak publicly.

Tuesday’s announcement about the hospital’s future comes after a series of controversies and follows operator Healthscope falling into receivership in May. The spotlight on the hospital also intensified after the death of two-year-old Joe Massa last year, which led to “Joe’s law” that bans future public-private partnerships in hospitals.

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