DEMOGRAPHICS, not politics, is the more likely reason the government decided not to proceed with privatising Goulburn Base Hospital, says Member for Goulburn Pru Goward.
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She said the case for Goulburn did not attract “sufficient interest through the Expressions of Interest (EOI) process to give the NSW Government confidence that better outcomes could be achieved.”
She defended the EOI process.
“I never felt an EOI was wrong. We had to do it (the EOI) because if someone did come forward with the money we would have been crazy not to take it up,” Ms Goward said.
‘It seemed like good idea as long as the public-private partnership could do better - it had to deliver better services - that was always going to be the test.
“Goulburn has an ageing population and is not growing quickly. Only 30 per cent have private health insurance here. Other places are much higher and providers would be looking at areas like that - because that is where they make their profit," she said.
“So I suspect our demographics are one of the main reasons that providers were not interested in a possible partnership. That said, as Assistant Health Minister – do I have any say in building hospitals? No I do not. That is not part of my responsibilities.”
When asked if privatisation was completely off the government’s agenda, Ms Goward said it would not come back again this term.
“It won’t come back during this term of government - how could it? Why would Health Infrastructure come back to this? They are now too busy with the other hospital projects and have a lot of work to get on with,” she said.
“It was only an EOI, that said, I am disappointed there was not a private provider that would provide additional care here.”
She said work would now proceed (this term) on the $120 million re-development of Goulburn Base and until that was complete, she would lobby for services at Bourke Street Health to stay where they are.
“We need to get the new hospital built so we can get palliative wards up at the Base. In the meantime Bourke Street services should stay where they are,” she said.