Pittwater Life May 2024 Issue

Pollies at odds over hospital
Local politicians are divided staff are trying their best, they
Government has no ability to
about the solution to reported
say it is evident that they are
deliver outcomes is absurd,”
staff cuts at Northern
Beaches Hospital which question
the hospital’s ability to
deliver top-quality care.
Mackellar Independent MP
Dr Sophie Scamps told Pittwater
Life she was deeply worried
about whether the hospital was
delivering the standard of care
which the community could
legitimately expect.
She said she understood
hospital operator Healthscope
planned to reduce nursing
staff across three mental
literally run off their feet. Patients
report waiting for hours
to be helped to the bathroom,
cannulas left in at discharge,
no patient transport available
and other signs of a staff
stretched to their limits.”
Dr Scamps said that unlike
other public hospitals, Northern
Beaches Hospital was not
subject to the mandated nursepatient
care ratios that operate
in government-owned public
hospitals after an agreement
lapsed last October.
WORRIED: Dr
he said.
“The contract between
the State and Healthscope
requires services to be delivered
to the highest standard
of patient care and safety. If
Healthscope is not providing
proper care, the State Government
must act.”
It’s understood the contract
between NSW and Healthscope
require that the operator “must
perform the Services having
regard to the highest standard
of patient care and safety at all
health wards, resulting in the She said she had written to
Sophie Scamps times, as well as in accordance
at NB Hospital.
loss of two nurse unit managers
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park
with good operating standards”.
and the equivalent of one
12-hour day shift.
This would mean that two
nurse unit managers would
now be responsible for four
mental health wards with 61
beds, Dr Scamps said.
“My office is frequently
fielding communications from
patients about concerns with
their treatment,” she added.
“While they report that the
and has also raised the issue
with Federal Health Minister
Mark Butler.
Wakehurst State MP Michael
Regan said he was outraged by
the reported cuts.
He said operator Healthscope’s
claim that changes
would not compromise the
quality of patient care and
would have a minimal impact
was “spin I do not buy”.
“If you can’t meet legitimate
public expectations of levels of
service and staffing, hand the
contract back to the government,”
he said.
Meanwhile Pittwater MP
Rory Amon pointed the finger
at the State Government for a
“fix”.
“Given the governance and
contractual arrangements
in place, any suggestion the
Mr Amon maintained that
the State Government had a
contractual right and obligation
to enforce the terms of its
contract.
“If the State Government sincerely
thinks that patient care
and safety are compromised,
they are the only entity able to
act and must do so.”
– Nigel Wall
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2024 17