New Maitland hospital to be accountable to Hunter New England Local Health District

There has been growing disquiet in the Maitland community in recent weeks, since Health Minister Jillian Skinner confirmed the government would go to the private sector to build and run the promised hospital at Metford.

A public rally at Maitland Park on Sunday took aim at the privatisation of the facility, with some speakers accusing the government of “Americanising” the Hunter’s health care.

But Mr MacDonald rubbished these claims and labelled them “completely false”.

“Public hospital health care is guaranteed and will remain accessible and fully government funded, just as it is now,” he said.

“The new hospital will be accountable to Hunter New England Local Health District and will meet the same strict access, quality and performance standards that apply to all NSW hospitals.

“Current permanent staff will be offered a position, provided an equivalent position exists.

“Every dollar saved through this partnership would be reinvested into providing even more and better healthcare for the community.

“Maitland is one of the fastest growing regions of NSW and I am determined the new hospital will be built to a scale to service the lower Hunter community well into the future.”

Maitland was one of five hospital projects the government planned to partner with the private sector to complete. That is until Goulburn hospital – in the electorate of assistant health minister Pru Goward – was struck from the list last week.

Executive director of ASMOF, the association that represents doctors and other health professionals, Andrew Holland told Sunday’s rally Australia’s public health system was “the envy of the world”.

“We can see that what [the government is] doing is putting blind ideology, blind commitment to the private sector ahead of public safety and public care,” he said.