The government will be forced to release all documents that relate to a potential public-private partnership for the hospital today.

Opposition health spokesman Walt Secord passed a motion last month to compel the government to table any documents related to a public-private partnership by November 6.

Cessnock MP Clayton Barr asked Mr Baird in Parliament on Monday to guarantee that the proposed Metford health facility would not be run by a private company.

But Mr Baird appeared to avoid the question repeatedly and referred to Labor’s ongoing public discussion of the hospital as a scare campaign.

He said the government was looking at which models would deliver the best possible infrastructure to the community.

“Of course there will be a public hospital there,” Mr Baird said. 

“That is what we do: deliver great public hospitals across this state. 

“The model will be determined on the basis of the best way to deliver for the community. 

“Members opposite can pretend there is no public hospital, but we will deliver public hospitals from one end of the state to the other.”

Mr Barr’s question came after the government announced last week that Healthscope, a private company, would run the Northern Beaches Hospital.

While Health Minister Jillian Skinner, Maitland MP Robyn Parker and Mr Baird have all said repeatedly that the Lower Hunter hospital would be a public facility that served public patients, the government has not ruled out a possible public-private partnership funding model.

Ms Skinner has said the government would reveal its funding model after planning for the facility was complete.

Labor has promised a fully government-funded hospital at Metford if the party wins the March election.

The government will host a community information session about the proposed facility at The Quality Hotel Monte Pio, Maitland, from 5.30pm on November 25.