Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) Government is introducing legislation to prohibit any future public-private partnerships (PPPs) from being implemented in the state’s acute hospitals.
This law aims to ensure that critical services such as emergency, surgical and inpatient care in hospitals remain under public control.
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NSW premier Chris Minns said: “As a Labor government, we believe critical public services like acute hospitals should remain in public hands, safeguarded from privatisation.
“The NSW government is committed to delivering the healthcare that the people of NSW rely on to keep our communities safe.”
The Health Services Amendment (PPP Prohibition) Bill 2025 (NSW) will prevent any future government from entering arrangements similar to those that previously took place in the Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney.
The legislation is a tribute to the memory of toddler Joe Massa, whose death in September 2024 highlighted concerns over the hospital’s service quality and safety.
It is a component of a wider government response to these concerns, which includes a parliamentary inquiry into the Northern Beaches Hospital and a review by the Clinical Excellence Commission of paediatric care systems and processes at the facility.
NSW health minister Ryan Park is due to introduce the bill, which seeks to amend the existing Health Services Act 1997 (NSW).
Park said: “What we are doing today is to deliver further protection of our hospitals – honouring the memory and legacy of toddler Joe Massa.
“Joe’s Law will mean that public hospitals which provide services such as emergency, surgical and inpatient services, will be protected under this government and from any future government that wishes to enter into such partnerships with private providers.”
Earlier this month, the NSW government introduced the Collaborative Care project in Leeton, aiming to provide tailored health services for patients in the Leeton area.
