Northern Beaches residents will continue to have access to private health services at their local hospital, with NSW Health confirming the arrangement will remain in place at Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest until at least 30 June 2027.
Read: Frenchs Forest Hospital Set for Public Handover in $190m Deal
The announcement was made by Health Minister Ryan Park on 2 March, just weeks before NSW Health is due to take operational control of the hospital from private operator Healthscope on 29 April.
Around 20,000 private patient operations are performed at the hospital each year. There had been concerns that up to 100 private health beds could be cut under the transition, potentially forcing residents to travel away from the Northern Beaches for care.
Under the interim arrangement, private services will continue to be offered when NSW Health takes back operational management of the hospital. The arrangement has been described as critical to minimise any large-scale and sudden changes to care delivery that might otherwise increase risk to patient care.
The $190 million handover deal will see the entire 494-bed hospital return to public ownership, along with its emergency department. Clinical and support staff currently working at the hospital have been offered jobs by NSW Health at the facility, and staff entitlements to annual, long service and sick leave will transfer across from Healthscope.
The handover follows growing community and political pressure over the hospital’s performance, including calls for the campus to be returned to public hands after a series of medical tragedies, including the death of 22-month-old Joe Massa, who attended the emergency department last year.
Local state MPs had been pushing hard for clarity on private services. Wakehurst Independent MP Michael Regan said the Northern Beaches community would now have “the best of both worlds at our local hospital — a public hospital with best-practice systems and more resources, as well as continued access and choice to excellent private services. This is a massive win for our community.”
Pittwater Independent MP Jacqui Scruby, who had also lobbied for a return to public ownership, said patients and doctors now had the certainty they need in the medium term. “It’s a win-win for the people of the Northern Beaches and one we’ve been fighting for — a publicly owned, public hospital and co-located private services,” she said. Ms Scruby added she would maintain pressure on NSW Health to engage a private operator for a co-located private hospital in the long term.
Davidson Liberal MP Matt Cross, who had circulated a petition calling for private services to be retained, welcomed the outcome but described it as an “11th hour” announcement. He said healthcare decisions “should not be reactive” and should instead “put patients first, be properly planned and be transparent from day one.”
The news also builds on a separate announcement that Northern Beaches Hospital will host the state’s first High Volume Surgery Hub. Up to an extra 5,000 surgeries will be performed at the hospital each year through the hub, helping to reduce surgical wait lists and ease demand on hospitals across the state.
Looking beyond 2027, NSW Health has appointed health sector leader David Swan to provide independent expert advice on future private health opportunities at the site, with his recommendations expected in April. A co-located model, a private hospital alongside the public facility, similar to arrangements at other Sydney hospitals, is among the options under consideration.
Read: Frenchs Forest Hospital to Introduce Cameras for Paediatric Emergencies
Mr Park said NSW Health remained committed to a long-term solution. “We know that is what the community, the patients and the clinicians want, and we are working towards this goal,” he said.
For Northern Beaches residents, the interim arrangement means private services at their local hospital remain available beyond the April handover date.
Published 14-March-2026
