Latest news with #Joe'sLaw
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Electric shocks, slips and mould: SafeWork serves notice to hospital
SafeWork has cracked down on the dangerous work environment at the Calvary Mater Hospital, ordering several issues to be fixed. Hunter New England Health has been issued with an improvement notice, which found it had failed to ensure reasonable health and safety due to risks of "slips, electric shock and inhalation of mould spores from rain water ingress and humidity". The notice, which also found the contractual building management system was inadequate, was served to HNEH as the owners of the building. The SafeWork order comes after NSW Health Minister Ryan Park met with the hospital's administrators to discuss a mould outbreak in the building's airconditioners, including in a ward with immunocompromised patients. The Newcastle Herald recently revealed SafeWork inspected the hospital in April, but missed the issues, including leaks that caused internal flooding and forced chemotherapy treatments to be cancelled. NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said despite the improvement notice, the hospital's work environment remained dangerous to staff and patients. "We're glad to to see progress, but we'll be feeling a lot better when the problems are actually fixed," Ms Smith said. "We shouldn't have got here in the first place. We've been let down by the lack of transparency and staff don't trust the management of the building." The lack of action to fix the Mater's ongoing issues has brought the hospital's complicated management structure under scrutiny. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership (PPP) by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare director James Ward said the company couldn't comment as it was "bound by confidentiality requirements", and any response would need approval from the state government. HNEH and the NSW Health Minister have repeatedly stated Novacare was responsible for the hospital's infrastructure and maintenance. "Minister Park and [Calvary Health Care CEO] Martin Bowles both agreed that it needs to be resolved as a matter of priority and urgency," a spokesperson for the Health Minister said. "Work is being undertaken to address the situation as quickly as possible." In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future PPPs for the state's acute hospitals after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park has previously stated he does not support PPPs for future acute hospitals. Ms Smith said Mater's maintenance mess was more evidence PPPs were no longer fit for purpose. "You've got a private company trying to make a profit of managing an acute care hospital, so when problems arise and money needs to be spent, no one wants to foot the bill," she said. HNEH confirmed it had received the SafeWork notice and was working with its partners and contractors, including NovaCare, to determine appropriate remediations. SafeWork has cracked down on the dangerous work environment at the Calvary Mater Hospital, ordering several issues to be fixed. Hunter New England Health has been issued with an improvement notice, which found it had failed to ensure reasonable health and safety due to risks of "slips, electric shock and inhalation of mould spores from rain water ingress and humidity". The notice, which also found the contractual building management system was inadequate, was served to HNEH as the owners of the building. The SafeWork order comes after NSW Health Minister Ryan Park met with the hospital's administrators to discuss a mould outbreak in the building's airconditioners, including in a ward with immunocompromised patients. The Newcastle Herald recently revealed SafeWork inspected the hospital in April, but missed the issues, including leaks that caused internal flooding and forced chemotherapy treatments to be cancelled. NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said despite the improvement notice, the hospital's work environment remained dangerous to staff and patients. "We're glad to to see progress, but we'll be feeling a lot better when the problems are actually fixed," Ms Smith said. "We shouldn't have got here in the first place. We've been let down by the lack of transparency and staff don't trust the management of the building." The lack of action to fix the Mater's ongoing issues has brought the hospital's complicated management structure under scrutiny. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership (PPP) by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare director James Ward said the company couldn't comment as it was "bound by confidentiality requirements", and any response would need approval from the state government. HNEH and the NSW Health Minister have repeatedly stated Novacare was responsible for the hospital's infrastructure and maintenance. "Minister Park and [Calvary Health Care CEO] Martin Bowles both agreed that it needs to be resolved as a matter of priority and urgency," a spokesperson for the Health Minister said. "Work is being undertaken to address the situation as quickly as possible." In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future PPPs for the state's acute hospitals after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park has previously stated he does not support PPPs for future acute hospitals. Ms Smith said Mater's maintenance mess was more evidence PPPs were no longer fit for purpose. "You've got a private company trying to make a profit of managing an acute care hospital, so when problems arise and money needs to be spent, no one wants to foot the bill," she said. HNEH confirmed it had received the SafeWork notice and was working with its partners and contractors, including NovaCare, to determine appropriate remediations. SafeWork has cracked down on the dangerous work environment at the Calvary Mater Hospital, ordering several issues to be fixed. Hunter New England Health has been issued with an improvement notice, which found it had failed to ensure reasonable health and safety due to risks of "slips, electric shock and inhalation of mould spores from rain water ingress and humidity". The notice, which also found the contractual building management system was inadequate, was served to HNEH as the owners of the building. The SafeWork order comes after NSW Health Minister Ryan Park met with the hospital's administrators to discuss a mould outbreak in the building's airconditioners, including in a ward with immunocompromised patients. The Newcastle Herald recently revealed SafeWork inspected the hospital in April, but missed the issues, including leaks that caused internal flooding and forced chemotherapy treatments to be cancelled. NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said despite the improvement notice, the hospital's work environment remained dangerous to staff and patients. "We're glad to to see progress, but we'll be feeling a lot better when the problems are actually fixed," Ms Smith said. "We shouldn't have got here in the first place. We've been let down by the lack of transparency and staff don't trust the management of the building." The lack of action to fix the Mater's ongoing issues has brought the hospital's complicated management structure under scrutiny. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership (PPP) by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare director James Ward said the company couldn't comment as it was "bound by confidentiality requirements", and any response would need approval from the state government. HNEH and the NSW Health Minister have repeatedly stated Novacare was responsible for the hospital's infrastructure and maintenance. "Minister Park and [Calvary Health Care CEO] Martin Bowles both agreed that it needs to be resolved as a matter of priority and urgency," a spokesperson for the Health Minister said. "Work is being undertaken to address the situation as quickly as possible." In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future PPPs for the state's acute hospitals after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park has previously stated he does not support PPPs for future acute hospitals. Ms Smith said Mater's maintenance mess was more evidence PPPs were no longer fit for purpose. "You've got a private company trying to make a profit of managing an acute care hospital, so when problems arise and money needs to be spent, no one wants to foot the bill," she said. HNEH confirmed it had received the SafeWork notice and was working with its partners and contractors, including NovaCare, to determine appropriate remediations. SafeWork has cracked down on the dangerous work environment at the Calvary Mater Hospital, ordering several issues to be fixed. Hunter New England Health has been issued with an improvement notice, which found it had failed to ensure reasonable health and safety due to risks of "slips, electric shock and inhalation of mould spores from rain water ingress and humidity". The notice, which also found the contractual building management system was inadequate, was served to HNEH as the owners of the building. The SafeWork order comes after NSW Health Minister Ryan Park met with the hospital's administrators to discuss a mould outbreak in the building's airconditioners, including in a ward with immunocompromised patients. The Newcastle Herald recently revealed SafeWork inspected the hospital in April, but missed the issues, including leaks that caused internal flooding and forced chemotherapy treatments to be cancelled. NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said despite the improvement notice, the hospital's work environment remained dangerous to staff and patients. "We're glad to to see progress, but we'll be feeling a lot better when the problems are actually fixed," Ms Smith said. "We shouldn't have got here in the first place. We've been let down by the lack of transparency and staff don't trust the management of the building." The lack of action to fix the Mater's ongoing issues has brought the hospital's complicated management structure under scrutiny. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership (PPP) by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare director James Ward said the company couldn't comment as it was "bound by confidentiality requirements", and any response would need approval from the state government. HNEH and the NSW Health Minister have repeatedly stated Novacare was responsible for the hospital's infrastructure and maintenance. "Minister Park and [Calvary Health Care CEO] Martin Bowles both agreed that it needs to be resolved as a matter of priority and urgency," a spokesperson for the Health Minister said. "Work is being undertaken to address the situation as quickly as possible." In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future PPPs for the state's acute hospitals after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park has previously stated he does not support PPPs for future acute hospitals. Ms Smith said Mater's maintenance mess was more evidence PPPs were no longer fit for purpose. "You've got a private company trying to make a profit of managing an acute care hospital, so when problems arise and money needs to be spent, no one wants to foot the bill," she said. HNEH confirmed it had received the SafeWork notice and was working with its partners and contractors, including NovaCare, to determine appropriate remediations.
The Advertiser
27-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
'Not acceptable': Health Minister to meet hospital management over mould and leaks
The state's health minister will meet with Calvary Mater Hospital management this week, after describing the building's mould outbreak and persistent leaks as unacceptable. The meeting follows the Newcastle Herald's ongoing coverage of the hospital's maintenance mess, which the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association has labelled "appalling" and a "dangerous environment". The hospital is battling a mould outbreak in the air conditioners, including in a ward with immunocompromised patients, while chemotherapy treatments had to be cancelled due to internal flooding caused by severe leaks. "No, it isn't [acceptable] and we are working with that hospital on that issue," NSW Health Minister Ryan Park told ABC Radio National. "I'm meeting with the hospital this week with [NSW Health] Secretary Susan Pearce. It will be an issue on top of the agenda." Mr Park, who initially declined to comment when the Newcastle Herald broke the story, said he understood the frustration of the community. "It's very important that we try and get that issue resolved," Mr Park said. "We are working on it with the organisation, and we'll hopefully get that resolved as quickly as possible." Last week the Herald revealed SafeWork NSW inspection in April seemingly missed the leaks, which have become so bad that leaking windows are being patched up with plastic garbage bags and drained into bins. The watchdog stated "enquiries were ongoing" and declined to comment further. Following the Newcastle Herald's questions, SafeWork inspected the hospital's leaks. The lack of action to fix the Mater's long list of issues has brought the hospital's complicated management structure under scrutiny. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership (PPP) by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare has not responded to requests for comment. Plenary, who provides Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) management services for Novacare, such as administration and invoicing, also declined to comment. An SPV is a separate legal entity established by a company or group of companies for a specific purpose. Within the Novacare consortium Westpac Banking is the equity investor and financier, Abigroup handles the design and construction contractor, Honeywell looks after infrastructure and maintenance, and Medirest supplies the soft facility management contractors, such as cleaning. In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future PPPs for the state's acute hospitals after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park has previously stated he does not support PPPs for future acute hospitals. Hunter New England Health (HNEH) provides the Mater's in-patient and clinical services. "We are working closely with both Novacare and Calvary Mater Newcastle to address the current facility management issues and ensure all required standards are met," a HNEH spokesperson said. The state's health minister will meet with Calvary Mater Hospital management this week, after describing the building's mould outbreak and persistent leaks as unacceptable. The meeting follows the Newcastle Herald's ongoing coverage of the hospital's maintenance mess, which the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association has labelled "appalling" and a "dangerous environment". The hospital is battling a mould outbreak in the air conditioners, including in a ward with immunocompromised patients, while chemotherapy treatments had to be cancelled due to internal flooding caused by severe leaks. "No, it isn't [acceptable] and we are working with that hospital on that issue," NSW Health Minister Ryan Park told ABC Radio National. "I'm meeting with the hospital this week with [NSW Health] Secretary Susan Pearce. It will be an issue on top of the agenda." Mr Park, who initially declined to comment when the Newcastle Herald broke the story, said he understood the frustration of the community. "It's very important that we try and get that issue resolved," Mr Park said. "We are working on it with the organisation, and we'll hopefully get that resolved as quickly as possible." Last week the Herald revealed SafeWork NSW inspection in April seemingly missed the leaks, which have become so bad that leaking windows are being patched up with plastic garbage bags and drained into bins. The watchdog stated "enquiries were ongoing" and declined to comment further. Following the Newcastle Herald's questions, SafeWork inspected the hospital's leaks. The lack of action to fix the Mater's long list of issues has brought the hospital's complicated management structure under scrutiny. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership (PPP) by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare has not responded to requests for comment. Plenary, who provides Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) management services for Novacare, such as administration and invoicing, also declined to comment. An SPV is a separate legal entity established by a company or group of companies for a specific purpose. Within the Novacare consortium Westpac Banking is the equity investor and financier, Abigroup handles the design and construction contractor, Honeywell looks after infrastructure and maintenance, and Medirest supplies the soft facility management contractors, such as cleaning. In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future PPPs for the state's acute hospitals after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park has previously stated he does not support PPPs for future acute hospitals. Hunter New England Health (HNEH) provides the Mater's in-patient and clinical services. "We are working closely with both Novacare and Calvary Mater Newcastle to address the current facility management issues and ensure all required standards are met," a HNEH spokesperson said. The state's health minister will meet with Calvary Mater Hospital management this week, after describing the building's mould outbreak and persistent leaks as unacceptable. The meeting follows the Newcastle Herald's ongoing coverage of the hospital's maintenance mess, which the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association has labelled "appalling" and a "dangerous environment". The hospital is battling a mould outbreak in the air conditioners, including in a ward with immunocompromised patients, while chemotherapy treatments had to be cancelled due to internal flooding caused by severe leaks. "No, it isn't [acceptable] and we are working with that hospital on that issue," NSW Health Minister Ryan Park told ABC Radio National. "I'm meeting with the hospital this week with [NSW Health] Secretary Susan Pearce. It will be an issue on top of the agenda." Mr Park, who initially declined to comment when the Newcastle Herald broke the story, said he understood the frustration of the community. "It's very important that we try and get that issue resolved," Mr Park said. "We are working on it with the organisation, and we'll hopefully get that resolved as quickly as possible." Last week the Herald revealed SafeWork NSW inspection in April seemingly missed the leaks, which have become so bad that leaking windows are being patched up with plastic garbage bags and drained into bins. The watchdog stated "enquiries were ongoing" and declined to comment further. Following the Newcastle Herald's questions, SafeWork inspected the hospital's leaks. The lack of action to fix the Mater's long list of issues has brought the hospital's complicated management structure under scrutiny. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership (PPP) by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare has not responded to requests for comment. Plenary, who provides Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) management services for Novacare, such as administration and invoicing, also declined to comment. An SPV is a separate legal entity established by a company or group of companies for a specific purpose. Within the Novacare consortium Westpac Banking is the equity investor and financier, Abigroup handles the design and construction contractor, Honeywell looks after infrastructure and maintenance, and Medirest supplies the soft facility management contractors, such as cleaning. In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future PPPs for the state's acute hospitals after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park has previously stated he does not support PPPs for future acute hospitals. Hunter New England Health (HNEH) provides the Mater's in-patient and clinical services. "We are working closely with both Novacare and Calvary Mater Newcastle to address the current facility management issues and ensure all required standards are met," a HNEH spokesperson said. The state's health minister will meet with Calvary Mater Hospital management this week, after describing the building's mould outbreak and persistent leaks as unacceptable. The meeting follows the Newcastle Herald's ongoing coverage of the hospital's maintenance mess, which the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association has labelled "appalling" and a "dangerous environment". The hospital is battling a mould outbreak in the air conditioners, including in a ward with immunocompromised patients, while chemotherapy treatments had to be cancelled due to internal flooding caused by severe leaks. "No, it isn't [acceptable] and we are working with that hospital on that issue," NSW Health Minister Ryan Park told ABC Radio National. "I'm meeting with the hospital this week with [NSW Health] Secretary Susan Pearce. It will be an issue on top of the agenda." Mr Park, who initially declined to comment when the Newcastle Herald broke the story, said he understood the frustration of the community. "It's very important that we try and get that issue resolved," Mr Park said. "We are working on it with the organisation, and we'll hopefully get that resolved as quickly as possible." Last week the Herald revealed SafeWork NSW inspection in April seemingly missed the leaks, which have become so bad that leaking windows are being patched up with plastic garbage bags and drained into bins. The watchdog stated "enquiries were ongoing" and declined to comment further. Following the Newcastle Herald's questions, SafeWork inspected the hospital's leaks. The lack of action to fix the Mater's long list of issues has brought the hospital's complicated management structure under scrutiny. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership (PPP) by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare has not responded to requests for comment. Plenary, who provides Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) management services for Novacare, such as administration and invoicing, also declined to comment. An SPV is a separate legal entity established by a company or group of companies for a specific purpose. Within the Novacare consortium Westpac Banking is the equity investor and financier, Abigroup handles the design and construction contractor, Honeywell looks after infrastructure and maintenance, and Medirest supplies the soft facility management contractors, such as cleaning. In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future PPPs for the state's acute hospitals after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park has previously stated he does not support PPPs for future acute hospitals. Hunter New England Health (HNEH) provides the Mater's in-patient and clinical services. "We are working closely with both Novacare and Calvary Mater Newcastle to address the current facility management issues and ensure all required standards are met," a HNEH spokesperson said.
Sky News AU
27-05-2025
- Health
- Sky News AU
Joe Massa's parents demand NSW Government acquires Northern Beaches Hospital after Healthscope enters receivership
The parents of a toddler who died hours after entering the emergency department of a Healthscope hospital has called on the NSW government to purchase it after the company was forced into receivership on Monday. Joe Massa, two, was taken to the public-private Northern Beaches Hospital in September after he began vomiting. His parents, Elouise and Danny, said they waited in the emergency room for two hours as the toddler was deemed a lower priority patient. He was then taken to Sydney Children's Hospital and suffered cardiac arrest and died due to brain damage. The toddler's death sparked an inquiry that led the NSW government to implement 'Joe's Law', which will ban public-private hospital partnerships. Joe's parents spoke out after Healthscope entered receivership on Monday and tore into the hospital operator's former owner, the Canadian asset management firm Brookfield. 'We are pleased that Brookfield is now finally out of the way,' Ms Massa said on Nine's Today. 'Brookfield has a lot of answers to provide us, including its company directors.' Healthscope had accrued $1.6 billion of debt and had defaulted on lease payments. Brookfield handed control of the health company to the lenders earlier this month, who appointed McGrathNicol Restructuring to find a buyer. Mr Massa said the state government should purchase Northern Beaches Hospital and echoed his wife's criticism of private-public ownership of hospitals. 'Private equity shouldn't be involved in running critical health infrastructure in Australia," he said. 'Their modus operandi is to fatten up the bottom line and to sell the business for a profit. 'At the essence, there's a conflict between the values of public hospitals and private equity and that's where disastrous outcomes occur. 'The Northern Beaches Hospital needs to change and that will only occur when the Northern Beaches hospital returns to public hands as soon as possible.' He called for an overhaul of the culture at the hospital and within the Northern Beaches community and stressed this would 'only occur when the hospital returns to public hands'. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park on Tuesday morning said the state government is continuing its discussions and negotiations with the hospital to take over the facility. "What we will continue to do is work with the current operators and those involved behind the scene. We will be continuing our discussions... with them about what we hope to do and that is bring the hospital back in public hands," Mr Park said on ABC Radio National. "We're working through that. That's been an intense process that's been going on for a couple of weeks now." Local state member Jacqui Scruby said Healthscope's receivership was an opportunity for the NSW government to purchase the hospital. 'It is now crunch time. With hedge fund backers pushing for Healthscope's' assets to be sold, the NSW Government must seize this opportunity to buy not just the public beds, but the entire Northern Beaches Hospital,' Ms Scruby said in a statement. 'Northern Beaches residents deserve a hospital with enough beds and services to meet the needs of our growing community, now and into the future.' Federal Health Minister Mark Butler stressed that while the staff and patients were assured the hospitals will continue to operate, 'this will still be difficult for the hospital's employees and their patients'. 'As Healthscope have today stated, if you have a planned procedure in one of their hospitals, it will go ahead,' Mr Butler told reporters on Monday. He also noted the government had met with KordaMentha, Healthscope's administrator, and the receiver and expects the hospitals to 'remain a critical part of our healthcare system'. 'The government does not want any of these important assets to be put in jeopardy to satisfy international investors,' Mr Butler said. However, Labor will not bail out the embattled healthcare group. 'We remain steadfast in our view that an orderly sales process that maintains the integrity of the entire hospital group will provide the best outcome for patients, staff, landlords and lenders,' Mr Butler said. Healthscope's CEO Tino La Spina told reporters he is confident there will be a buyer to take over the business. 'I think we're confident that there is interest in taking the Healthscope business as a whole. We have 10 non-binding indicative offers,' Mr La Spina said. 'Some are for the whole (business) and others potentially could include the whole (business) under certain circumstances. That is the focus.' It has received a $100 million lifeline from Commonwealth Bank of Australia, which comes in addition to its current cash balance of $110 million and 'substantial additional asset backing across the group', according to Healthscope. Westpac has also agreed to provide the receivers with capital to facilitate the sale.
The Advertiser
25-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Health Minister puts 'troubling' Calvary Mater maintenance mess at arm's length
A local politician is "troubled" by reports the Calvary Mater Hospital is riddled with leaks and battling a mould outbreak, but the Health Minister has already moved to distance the government from the maintenance mess. Aspergillus mould, which is dangerous to the elderly and people with lowered immune systems, has been detected in multiple areas in the hospital, including air conditioners and a ward with immunocompromised patients. Moisture has become such an issue at the Waratah hospital that dehumidifiers have been brought into wards, and leaking windows are being patched up with plastic and drained into garbage bins. Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery said she was troubled by the reports of mould and leaks. "To me, it is simply not OK," she said. "I have raised this with the Minister for Health, asking that the maintenance issues be addressed. I will be seeking further answers with regard to this matter." The Newcastle Herald asked NSW Health Minister Ryan Park if he'd spoken directly to Mater administrators about the mould, leaks and maintenance backlog. Mr Park initially declined to answer any questions and instead directed Hunter New England Health staff to respond. However, when pressed by the Herald a spokesperson for Mr Park made it clear Novacare, the company managing the hospital's infrastructure and facilities, was responsible for the building's upkeep. "Maintenance of the hospital building and infrastructure is the responsibility of Novacare, under a public-private partnership with NSW Health," the spokesperson said. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare subcontracted its hard facilities management to Honeywell, which ignored the Herald's questions and has previously directed them to the state government. In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future public-private partnerships for the state's acute hospitals, after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park was also asked if it was time to reconsider the Mater's public-private partnership and bring the hospital under a fully public system. "The Minister has made clear that he does not support public-private partnerships being imposed on any future acute hospitals in circumstances where a private provider both constructs the facility and provides acute hospital service to public patients at the facility," the spokesperson said. Hunter New England Health (HNEH), which is responsible for patient care and clinical services within the Mater, said it was "actively working to minimise any risk" to patients following the detection of Aspergillus in a number of inpatient wards. "As a precaution, deep cleaning has been carried out, and additional air filtration units have been installed in the affected areas while further actions are being assessed," a HNEH spokesperson said. Earlier this week, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association raised the alarm about the state of the hospital. "These public-private partnerships don't work, you can't put people's lives at risk to make some money," the union's Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said. A local politician is "troubled" by reports the Calvary Mater Hospital is riddled with leaks and battling a mould outbreak, but the Health Minister has already moved to distance the government from the maintenance mess. Aspergillus mould, which is dangerous to the elderly and people with lowered immune systems, has been detected in multiple areas in the hospital, including air conditioners and a ward with immunocompromised patients. Moisture has become such an issue at the Waratah hospital that dehumidifiers have been brought into wards, and leaking windows are being patched up with plastic and drained into garbage bins. Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery said she was troubled by the reports of mould and leaks. "To me, it is simply not OK," she said. "I have raised this with the Minister for Health, asking that the maintenance issues be addressed. I will be seeking further answers with regard to this matter." The Newcastle Herald asked NSW Health Minister Ryan Park if he'd spoken directly to Mater administrators about the mould, leaks and maintenance backlog. Mr Park initially declined to answer any questions and instead directed Hunter New England Health staff to respond. However, when pressed by the Herald a spokesperson for Mr Park made it clear Novacare, the company managing the hospital's infrastructure and facilities, was responsible for the building's upkeep. "Maintenance of the hospital building and infrastructure is the responsibility of Novacare, under a public-private partnership with NSW Health," the spokesperson said. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare subcontracted its hard facilities management to Honeywell, which ignored the Herald's questions and has previously directed them to the state government. In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future public-private partnerships for the state's acute hospitals, after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park was also asked if it was time to reconsider the Mater's public-private partnership and bring the hospital under a fully public system. "The Minister has made clear that he does not support public-private partnerships being imposed on any future acute hospitals in circumstances where a private provider both constructs the facility and provides acute hospital service to public patients at the facility," the spokesperson said. Hunter New England Health (HNEH), which is responsible for patient care and clinical services within the Mater, said it was "actively working to minimise any risk" to patients following the detection of Aspergillus in a number of inpatient wards. "As a precaution, deep cleaning has been carried out, and additional air filtration units have been installed in the affected areas while further actions are being assessed," a HNEH spokesperson said. Earlier this week, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association raised the alarm about the state of the hospital. "These public-private partnerships don't work, you can't put people's lives at risk to make some money," the union's Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said. A local politician is "troubled" by reports the Calvary Mater Hospital is riddled with leaks and battling a mould outbreak, but the Health Minister has already moved to distance the government from the maintenance mess. Aspergillus mould, which is dangerous to the elderly and people with lowered immune systems, has been detected in multiple areas in the hospital, including air conditioners and a ward with immunocompromised patients. Moisture has become such an issue at the Waratah hospital that dehumidifiers have been brought into wards, and leaking windows are being patched up with plastic and drained into garbage bins. Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery said she was troubled by the reports of mould and leaks. "To me, it is simply not OK," she said. "I have raised this with the Minister for Health, asking that the maintenance issues be addressed. I will be seeking further answers with regard to this matter." The Newcastle Herald asked NSW Health Minister Ryan Park if he'd spoken directly to Mater administrators about the mould, leaks and maintenance backlog. Mr Park initially declined to answer any questions and instead directed Hunter New England Health staff to respond. However, when pressed by the Herald a spokesperson for Mr Park made it clear Novacare, the company managing the hospital's infrastructure and facilities, was responsible for the building's upkeep. "Maintenance of the hospital building and infrastructure is the responsibility of Novacare, under a public-private partnership with NSW Health," the spokesperson said. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare subcontracted its hard facilities management to Honeywell, which ignored the Herald's questions and has previously directed them to the state government. In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future public-private partnerships for the state's acute hospitals, after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park was also asked if it was time to reconsider the Mater's public-private partnership and bring the hospital under a fully public system. "The Minister has made clear that he does not support public-private partnerships being imposed on any future acute hospitals in circumstances where a private provider both constructs the facility and provides acute hospital service to public patients at the facility," the spokesperson said. Hunter New England Health (HNEH), which is responsible for patient care and clinical services within the Mater, said it was "actively working to minimise any risk" to patients following the detection of Aspergillus in a number of inpatient wards. "As a precaution, deep cleaning has been carried out, and additional air filtration units have been installed in the affected areas while further actions are being assessed," a HNEH spokesperson said. Earlier this week, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association raised the alarm about the state of the hospital. "These public-private partnerships don't work, you can't put people's lives at risk to make some money," the union's Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said. A local politician is "troubled" by reports the Calvary Mater Hospital is riddled with leaks and battling a mould outbreak, but the Health Minister has already moved to distance the government from the maintenance mess. Aspergillus mould, which is dangerous to the elderly and people with lowered immune systems, has been detected in multiple areas in the hospital, including air conditioners and a ward with immunocompromised patients. Moisture has become such an issue at the Waratah hospital that dehumidifiers have been brought into wards, and leaking windows are being patched up with plastic and drained into garbage bins. Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery said she was troubled by the reports of mould and leaks. "To me, it is simply not OK," she said. "I have raised this with the Minister for Health, asking that the maintenance issues be addressed. I will be seeking further answers with regard to this matter." The Newcastle Herald asked NSW Health Minister Ryan Park if he'd spoken directly to Mater administrators about the mould, leaks and maintenance backlog. Mr Park initially declined to answer any questions and instead directed Hunter New England Health staff to respond. However, when pressed by the Herald a spokesperson for Mr Park made it clear Novacare, the company managing the hospital's infrastructure and facilities, was responsible for the building's upkeep. "Maintenance of the hospital building and infrastructure is the responsibility of Novacare, under a public-private partnership with NSW Health," the spokesperson said. The Mater is managed under a public-private partnership by a consortium called Novacare, which is composed of four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare subcontracted its hard facilities management to Honeywell, which ignored the Herald's questions and has previously directed them to the state government. In March, the government passed Joe's Law to ban future public-private partnerships for the state's acute hospitals, after the death of a toddler at Northern Beaches Hospital. Mr Park was also asked if it was time to reconsider the Mater's public-private partnership and bring the hospital under a fully public system. "The Minister has made clear that he does not support public-private partnerships being imposed on any future acute hospitals in circumstances where a private provider both constructs the facility and provides acute hospital service to public patients at the facility," the spokesperson said. Hunter New England Health (HNEH), which is responsible for patient care and clinical services within the Mater, said it was "actively working to minimise any risk" to patients following the detection of Aspergillus in a number of inpatient wards. "As a precaution, deep cleaning has been carried out, and additional air filtration units have been installed in the affected areas while further actions are being assessed," a HNEH spokesperson said. Earlier this week, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association raised the alarm about the state of the hospital. "These public-private partnerships don't work, you can't put people's lives at risk to make some money," the union's Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Strain': Troubled hospital's admission
The operator of Sydney's Northern Beaches Hospital (NBH) has confirmed it is willing to discuss returning the hospital to NSW Health following the government's ban on private-public partnerships. The hospital faced scrutiny following the death of two-year old Joe Massa, who died after he received care at NBH. His parents took him to the hospital on September 12 after he began vomiting. Elouise and Danny Massa said they were forced to wait for two hours to get a bed and Joe was wrongly triaged into a lower priority despite having a high heart rate and severe loss of fluid. The hospital has come under fire over a range of stories He was transferred to Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick, where he suffered cardiac arrest about three hours after arriving at the emergency department. He died as a result of brain damage. NBH operates under a public-private partnership agreement between Healthscope and the NSW government until 2038. But last month, Premier Chris Minns announced a ban on all future public-private partnerships at acute hospitals. He has also prevented future governments from entering into partnerships that could limit control over hospital services. Known as Joe's Law, the ban ensures critical public services like acute hospitals remain in public hands and are safeguarded from privatisation. Healthscope chief executive Tino La Spina acknowledged that operating NBH as a public-private partnership was no longer compatible with the government's objectives. Mr La Spina said returning NBH to NSW Health would be best for patients, staff and the community if that was the government's preferred objective. 'As the state's appointed operator, we recognise we must work in alignment with the government's objectives for the health system overall, rather than in conflict with them,' he said. 'The public pressure brought about by the change in policy re. public-private partnership structures has created uncertainty about the NBH future and this has put strain on NBH's people and operations. 'In the current circumstances, we believe NBH will operate more effectively as part of the public hospital system and its future is assured.' However, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said after the way Healthscope had managed this partnership, the healthcare provider should not expect to walk away with a profit. Mr Mookhey noted Healthscope's owners was engaged in a market process potentially seeking to exit the business, but the government would be watching to ensure no one tried to make a windfall gain at the expense of the people of NSW. 'The government will engage with Healthscope management after questions of its ownership and whether it remains a going concern are resolved,' he said. Health Minister Ryan Park said the government's position had been clear that it did not support public-private partnerships being imposed on NSW's acute hospitals. 'We will carefully consider any proposal regarding Northern Beaches Hospital,' he said. 'We can assure the community that Northern Beaches Hospital will continue to operate without interruption during any discussions.'
