The controversial public private partnership (PPP) for the new Maitland hospital has been scrapped, with the state government deciding to go down a not-for-profit path.
They've announced they will approach a not-for-profit provider to build and run the new hospital using their own funds on top of the already promised $450 million from the government in this year's budget.
The not-for-profit plan will be rolled out and conducted in a similar way to Newcastle's Calvary Mater Hospital.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard believes this is a much better option, an option both the community along with doctors and nurses want, rather than the PPP model proposed previously."The local community didn't want that and I met with them and talked to the nurses and as a result we looked at other options and the best option, the really best option, to provide free public health care and to provide a precinct for health going forward for decades and hundreds of more jobs, would be to go for not-for-profit," said Brad Hazzard.
The government has also announced construction will begin sooner rather than later, and as soon as the end of 2017.
"I've set a very high bar for health infrastructure and said to them I'd really like something kicking off by later this year but that is dependent upon getting the expressions of interest, the tender projects done, but certainly if that doesn't work than early next year but really putting the pressure on to get it underway," said Brad Hazzard.
Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison says better late than never.
"We've been advocating that it needed to be done much quicker than its already been and we're well over 2,000 days. That quicker commencement time of starting at the end of this year instead of the end of next year is good news for us."
However, while the Maitland MP is glad something has changed, she's already looking forward to the problems they're sure to face once the hospital nears completion.
"What we need to do is really look at the issues around governance and decision making, ensuring that this hospital is held accountable to the community, that reporting is adequate, that patient nurse ratios are adequate, that the staff get a fair transition - I think they said there's going to be a two-year transition period," said Jenny Aitchison.
She also hopes the organisation who takes on the job has all of the appropriate measures in place within the contract to allow for hospital expansion in the future, as well as measures to ensure services the community needs, and wants, are delivered through the hospital.
