The Australian Government has partnered with the private hospital sector, including the Northern Beaches Hospital to ensure the full resources of our world class health system, are ready and focused on treating patients as required, through the coronavirus pandemic.
Member for Mackellar, Jason Falinski has supported the announcement and highlighted the preparedness of the Northern Beaches hospital.
“The Northern Beaches have one of the best hospitals in the state, and it is keeping the community safe, and providing a high quality of care to anyone who needs it.” Mr Falinski stated.
“The government is guaranteeing the viability and capacity of the private hospital sector, in an agreement that will ensure the private beds and staff are available along side the public hospital sector.”
“The Government recognises the fundamental and heroic role of our medical and nursing staff and this agreement with further strengthen our health system.”
These facilities will be required to make infrastructure, essential equipment (including ventilators), supplies (including PPE), workforce and additional resources fully available to the state and territory hospital system or the Australian Government.
They will also continue to support the needs of long-stay public hospital National Disability Insurance Scheme participants, and aged care patients and general needs patients.
In conjunction with Commonwealth, State and Territory Health Ministers, private hospitals will support the COVID-19 response through services including but not limited to:
· Hospital services for public patients – both positive and negative for COVID‑19.
· Category 1 elective surgery.
· Utilisation of wards and theatres to expand ICU capacity.
· Accommodation for quarantine and isolation cases where necessary, and safety procedures and training are in place, including:
o Cruise and flight COVID-19 passengers.
o Quarantine of vulnerable members of the community.
o Isolation of infected vulnerable COVID-19 patients.
This is a landmark decision. Our Government is underwriting the future of the private hospital sector to:
Ends