"Joe's Law": NSW to ban acute hospital public–private partnerships

The NSW Government has announced that it will ban all future public–private partnerships from being imposed on the state’s acute hospitals in order to honour the legacy and memory of toddler Joe Massa, who died last September. The Health Services Amendment (PPP Prohibition) Bill 2025 (NSW) will prevent the state’s governments from entering into a Northern Beaches-style arrangement to build or operate an acute public hospital, the NSW Government said.

“As a Labor government, we believe critical public services like acute hospitals should remain in public hands, safeguarded from privatisation,” said NSW Premier Chris Minns, who along with NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park described the new legislation as “Joe’s Law”.

“The NSW Government is committed to delivering the health care that the people of NSW rely on to keep our communities safe,” he added.

The legislation forms part of the state government’s broader response to ongoing community concerns in relation to the quality and safety of health services delivered at Northern Beaches Hospital. This response includes:

• a parliamentary inquiry into the hospital;
• a review of the systems and processes surrounding paediatric care at the hospital, led by the Clinical Excellence Commission;
• a roundtable to improve the accessibility of the REACH protocol (Recognise, Engage, Act, Call, Help is on its way);
• the request for a coronial inquest; and
• a commitment to ensure Healthscope implements all recommendations of the Serious Adverse Event Review into Massa’s death.
   

“From the very beginning, we’ve adamantly opposed these sorts of arrangements — and we will continue to oppose them, now and into the future,” said Park, who will introduce legislation in the NSW Legislative Assembly to amend the Health Services Act 1997 (NSW) to bring the ban into effect.

“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,” Park said. “Our major and local community hospitals should be run by the people.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Chalongrat Chuvaree