Partnership ‘at risk of failure’
The public-private partnership (PPP) between Healthscope and the State Government is ‘at risk of failure,’ according to a recent audit.
The Audit Office of NSW had conducted the audit to determine how ‘effectively and efficiently’ the partnership was delivering services.
It found the partnership was ‘not effectively delivering the best quality integrated health services and clinical outcomes.’
Under the PPP agreement, Healthscope will operate the public part of the hospital until 2028. However, the audit revealed it had already asked the government as early as November, 2023 to take over the public operations. It also asked again in April this year, and the government has set up a taskforce to examine all options for a takeover with management. The NSW Government banned any future PPPs in acute hospitals in March.
Key findings of the audit included that while the hospital regularly achieved accreditation on national quality standards, ‘the hospital has recorded some concerning results for hospital-acquired complications.’ This included an elevated rate of falls, third and fourth-degree perineal lacerations and birth trauma.
A Healthscope spokesperson said it was ‘actively addressing’ areas identified for improvement. “The report summarises NBH’s performance against 16 nationally recognised hospital acquired complications. NBH performs at or above standard in 13 of the 16 indicators.”
The spokesperson said that the audit report acknowledged that: “The NBH catchment has an older patient demographic, which correlates with a higher expected rate of certain complications, particularly falls.”
Healthscope CEO Tino La Spina added: “The report confirms the strong day-to-day performance of our people at NBH in core areas of care, and I am incredibly proud of them.”
Mackellar MP Sophie Scamps said: “These findings support the ongoing concerns of hospital staff and patients who have been calling out operational problems, including unsafe staffing levels at the hospital, for far too long.”
Independent Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby added the audit showed ‘how public patients in our community are being let down.’ “Emergency and public care should not be run by the for-profit sector. This report adds further strength and momentum to return public services to public hands, so we can have transparency, accountability and real-time oversight of the hospital’s performance and rebuild community confidence.”
The government is conducting an inquiry on safety and quality at the hospital, with submissions closing 20 May.