Media Releases

17 April 2025

Today’s report from the NSW Auditor-General confirms what many in our community have raised for years: the Northern Beaches Hospital public-private partnership is failing to deliver the high-quality, integrated healthcare our community needs and deserves.

The findings are deeply concerning. The hospital is not meeting required clinical standards, remains poorly integrated into the wider health system, and serious patient safety risks have not been adequately addressed.

I welcome the report’s recommendations and will continue to work with State and Federal Governments to support the transition of the hospital to full public ownership. Access to safe, high-quality public healthcare must be a priority. However, it is important to acknowledge that this transition is a complex process involving significant procedural and financial challenges. I remain committed to working collaboratively with State representatives, and to keeping the community informed as this matter progresses.

The report also underscores the systemic failings of the public-private hospital model. Commercial imperatives should never be prioritised over patient safety or clinical outcomes. I commend the NSW Government for its commitment to no further public-private acute care hospital arrangements.

Alongside my State colleagues Michael Regan, Member for Wakehurst, and Jacqui Scruby, Member for Pittwater, I wrote to the NSW Premier calling for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the hospital’s performance. I welcome its establishment and encourage all patients, staff and families with experience of the hospital to make a submission by May 20. Your voices are critical to achieving better outcomes.

This is a key opportunity to secure real improvements in healthcare delivery for the Northern Beaches. I remain committed to advocating for an effective, publicly accountable hospital that centres the healthcare needs of the community and promotes safe and positive working conditions for their staff.