Latest news with #JoeMassa
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.
Perth Now
30-04-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Brave parents fight after toddler dies
Following the tragic death of two-year-old Joe Massa, his mother has spoken out, saying the system 'failed our son', prompting calls for reform from both parents and government officials. At a press conference on Wednesday, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park vowed to overhaul the REACH (Recognise, Engage, Act, Call, Help is on its way) patient escalation system across the state's hospitals, describing the death of Joe as a tragic failure and a catalyst for urgent action. Joe was taken to Northern Beaches Hospital in September last year after vomiting through the night. His parents, Elouise and Danny Massa, said he waited more than two hours for a bed and was wrongly classified as a lower priority, despite showing signs of severe dehydration and an elevated heart rate. The couple said hospital staff refused their repeated requests to administer intravenous fluids. About three hours after arriving at the emergency department, Joe went into cardiac arrest and was transferred to Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick. He later died from brain damage. Police have since launched an investigation into his death. Two-year-old Joe Massa' parents Elouise and Danny claim a systemic failure by Northern Beaches Hospital led to Joe's preventable death. Supplied Credit: Supplied Joe's parents joined the media conference to discuss NSW Health's Roundtable on the REACH protocol. 'Today, in 2025 I'm standing here because the program failed our son, Joe,' Mrs Massa said. 'We need to make sure that it works, we need to make sure that it is simplified and that it is amplified, and that we do not stop talking about the program to save lives, not one more child, not one more person can be lost. 'We need to ensure that the program is bolstered, and that is exactly what we are doing here today, and I have no doubt, with the support of the Health Minister, the premier and of course, Susan Pearce, that we will get there.' Danny and Elouise Massa, parents of two-year-old Joe, who died at the Northern Beaches Hospital. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia The REACH program was established in 2013, shortly before the death of six-month-old Kyran Day, who was misdiagnosed at Shoalhaven Hospital on the NSW South Coast, where the program was not implemented correctly. Kyrans family also attended the conference, including his grandmother, Jane Carritt, who called for greater awareness and access to the escalation system. 'There were so many moments where Kyran could have been saved and there were so many moments where Joe should have been saved,' Ms Carritt said. 'You are entitled to ask for a second opinion, but also, when you're in that situation, you're usually very stressed, it's very hard to think clearly. 'So you need the support of the technology and the information and the clinicians to support the patients and the children and adults who cannot speak for themselves,' she said. Kyrans father also spoke at the event, becoming emotional as he addressed the media. 'Sometimes the worst things in our life cannot often turn into something that creates a monumental change, and that's why we're here today,' Mr Day said. 'Both Kyran and Joe were only here for a short time, but their legacy is going to live forever, and I think that's something that's really important.' REACH advocates are Naomi and Grant Day, whose son, Kyran (pictured), passed away in a Sydney hospital in 2013. Credit: News Regional Media Mr Park acknowledged that while REACH has the right foundations, its implementation across NSW hospitals has become inconsistent and confusing. 'In big government departments, we can sometimes lose sight of what we're actually trying to do,' Mr Park said. 'What we're trying to do here is to make it as simple as possible for a mum, a dad, a carer, a brother or sister, an advocate, to raise their hand and say, 'I've got some concerns.'' 'We are confident that it is being used well in many places, we are not confident that it is being used as well as it could across the system,' he said. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has vowed to overhaul the REACH patient escalation system across the state's hospitals, describing the death of two-year-old Joe Massa as a tragic failure and a catalyst for urgent reform. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Park emphasised the need for a streamlined, easily accessible system with one clear and centralised contact method. 'What I want … is for this to be synchronised and centralised,' he said. He confirmed the REACH program would not be scrapped but strengthened, with simplification, visibility and accessibility as key priorities. 'It's not a criticism of those who came before us,' he said. 'It's just a timely reminder I think for all of us to sit back and say, how can we do it better?'
The Guardian
17-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Sydney hospital where two children died recently is at risk of failure, scathing report finds
A controversial hospital where two children have recently died is accused of failing to meet healthcare standards and is at risk of failure. In a scathing report from the New South Wales auditor general, the operators of Sydney's Northern Beaches hospital are accused of not taking sufficient actions to stop clinical safety risks. Noting 'concerning results' for some hospital-acquired complications, NSW auditor general Bola Oyetunji said the hospital's public-private partnership created a tension between clinical outcomes and profits. It is the hospital where toddler Joe Massa collapsed and died in September 2024 after a three-hour wait in the emergency department. Newborn baby Harper Atkinson also died after treatment at the same facility, with her mother believing an hour-long wait for surgery contributed to the death. Since the two deaths at Northern Beaches, the premier, Chris Minns, has banned public-private healthcare partnerships and said hospitals should not be driven by profits. The report, tabled on Thursday morning, demands hospital operator Healthscope fix safety and quality, system and reporting issues. The audit was under way prior to the recent children's deaths. It was first suggested in 2023 by the local member for Wakehurst, Michael Regan, with a follow-up request from the federal MP for Mackellar, Dr Sophie Scamps, in April 2024. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter It also calls on the government to consider if the public-private model at Northern Beaches hospital is the appropriate way forward for healthcare in the region. Healthscope has said it would like to return control of the hospital to public hands, citing the government's banning of the relevant partnership model. The government has set up a taskforce to run the rule over a potential sale, but leaders have repeatedly stated they will not deliver Healthscope a financial windfall. It operates 38 hospitals across the country and remains contracted to operate Northern Beaches hospital until 2038. But financial turmoil at the Canadian-controlled firm has placed its future in doubt. Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion On Wednesday, Harper's parents detailed the ordeal of losing their child, with mother Leah Pitman forced to wait for an on-call team to arrive to begin an emergency caesarean section, as reported by the Guardian in March. Pitman told ABC's 7.30 program she was 'incredibly angry' she had been forced to wait, rather than receiving immediate treatment that she felt could have saved her daughter. Northern Beaches hospital does not run a 24-hour theatre on weekend nights, with an on-call team required to attend within 30 minutes to meet legal and ethical guidelines. The health minister, Ryan Park, said the on-call arrangements were not uncommon on weekends, but added that a review into the incident would shed more light on their suitability. 'We want to make sure we deliver the very best health care to people, and, clearly, when we don't do that … people feel let down, and it's our opportunity to have a look at it,' he told Sydney radio 2GB.
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.'
