BY SAMANTHA COOKE
Labor is calling on the Government to protect private hospitals across the Hunter and NSW from any possible closures, due to financial concerns caused by COVID-19.In order to assist effectively with Corona virus patients, elective surgery procedures have now ceased.
Labor is concerned these actions are causing financial strain on the hospitals, believing some will close their doors in a matter of weeks if the Government does not intervene.
Shadow Minister for Health, Ryan Park, is anxious to see Australia's hospital system stay strong during a time when all hands on deck are needed.
"The reality is private hospitals are at breaking point after the decision was made not to continue elective surgery," Mr Park said.
"They essentially became very quickly financially not viable to continue... and that's the last thing we want."
Accounting for 30 per cent of all beds in the health system of NSW, private hospitals hold valuable resources that are necessary during the outbreak.
"We cannot allow private hospitals, in the middle of a pandemic, to sack front-line nurses and doctors, when we're going to need all the resources we can muster to fight this pandemic," he said.
"We want the NSW Government to urgently sit down with the private hospitals today with the Commonwealth and sort this issue out of funding."
"It is absolutely paramount, on behalf of everyone in the community, the Government makes this a priority."
A spokesperson for Healthscope, the organisation which oversees Newcastle Private Hospital said;
“With the impending
suspension of non-urgent elective surgery, we are doing everything we can to
keep all our nursing staff employed and available to support the national
COVID-19 response, across all of Healthscope’s 43 hospitals around the
country.
"We are in discussions with Federal and State governments on
measures that will support private hospitals to
adjust to the suspension of elective surgery, and ensure they remain
available to play a role in the nation’s response to the pandemic."
