Following months of uncertainty for staff, the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) has welcomed news an in-principle agreement over the future of Northern Beaches Hospital has been reached between the state government and Healthscope.
NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said today’s announcement has come as a relief to local nurses and midwives.
“It has been an extremely unsettling and stressful time for staff working at Northern Beaches Hospital following months of public scrutiny. Today’s developments that a deal is close to being finalised which will see the hospital transition into public hands soon, will help allay fears among our members,” said Ms Candish.
“We have been given assurances no nurse and midwife at Northern Beaches Hospital will lose their job and leave entitlements will be transferred when the hospital transitions to the public system.
“This is much-needed certainty for our hardworking and dedicated nurses and midwives. We are pleased to see Healthscope and the state government working collaboratively to reach an outcome and provide job security to the thousands of staff employed at Northern Beaches Hospital.”
Ms Candish said the union strongly opposed and fought hard against the then Baird government’s public private partnership (PPP).
“The NSWNMA has campaigned against this PPP and the privatisation of healthcare services for more than a decade. We warned the previous government this would be detrimental to the community and people of the Northern Beaches, but it was ignored,” said Ms Candish.
“We feared this model of healthcare would fail the Northern Beaches community and now that’s been realised.
“NSWNMA members at Northern Beaches Hospital have been raising staffing and safety concerns for years. Every step of the way they have advocated for safe patient care and quality health services, and they never gave up the fight to have the hospital taken out of private hands.
“The uncertainty felt has only worsened since the Healthscope receivership, so for nurses and midwives at Northern Beaches Hospital, transitioning to the public system gives them hope for stability, transparency and accountability.
“We also look forward to the implementation of the public system’s nurse-to-patient ratios which will provide safer workplaces and quality care that our Northern Beaches community deserves.”
