Health Minister Ryan Park has criticised the Coalition over its proposed approach to resolving liabilities linked to the private management of facilities at Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle, telling State Parliament the plan would let the contractor “off the hook.”
A recent parliamentary inquiry into conditions at the hospital heard evidence of mould, maggots and a doctor fainting during surgery. Responding to a question referencing the inquiry, Mr Park said the situation differed from the government’s earlier buyback of Northern Beaches Hospital. He said the public-private partnership at Calvary Mater relates specifically to facilities management and infrastructure maintenance, not the hospital’s clinical operator.
“I’ve got a responsibility to hold the contractors to account… and to make sure we spend taxpayers’ money wisely,” Mr Park said.
He said a Coalition proposal with “uncanny levels of stupidity” suggested the private contractor offered to terminante their agreement with the Government for just two dollars. However, Park said that would leave the government liable for a maintenance backlog he said was worth tens of millions of dollars, not the token figure suggested.
Park said NSW Health and Treasury met this week to continue working through the complex contract, and that the government had already intervened multiple times, including funding cladding remediation works due to be completed next year, despite not being contractually required to do so. He said he was also meeting regularly with hospital staff to improve communication about ongoing issues.
