Overview

• The NSW Auditor-General's report on Northern Beaches Hospital's public-private partnership is expected to be released Thursday, evaluating its healthcare efficacy and financial performance.
• The deaths of two-year-old Joe Massa in 2024 and newborn Harper Atkinson in February 2025 have intensified scrutiny of the hospital's emergency and obstetric care systems.
• Harper Atkinson's parents allege her death was preventable, citing delays caused by the hospital's reliance on on-call theatre teams during weekend nights.
• Healthscope, contracted to operate the hospital until 2038, has expressed interest in returning control to the public sector, citing financial challenges and the NSW government's ban on new public-private healthcare partnerships.
• Premier Chris Minns has banned future public-private healthcare partnerships, emphasizing that hospitals should prioritize patient care over profit motives.