local - 2026-05-13

Northern Beaches Hospital Formally Joins the Public Health System After Years of Community Campaigning

The 494-bed Frenchs Forest facility transferred to NSW Health on 29 April 2026, ending eight years of a troubled public-private partnership and vindicating more than a decade of union advocacy

After more than a decade of sustained advocacy, rallies, and political pressure, Northern Beaches Hospital has officially transitioned into the NSW public health system. On 29 April 2026, the 494-bed facility at Frenchs Forest was formally handed over to NSW Health, marking the end of an eight-year public-private partnership (PPP) that had been widely criticised for placing commercial interests ahead of patient care.

After more than a decade of sustained advocacy, rallies, and political pressure, Northern Beaches Hospital has officially transitioned into the NSW public health system. On 29 April 2026, the 494-bed facility at Frenchs Forest was formally handed over to NSW Health, marking the end of an eight-year public-private partnership (PPP) that had been widely criticised for placing commercial interests ahead of patient care. The NSW Government purchased the hospital from private operator Healthscope for $190 million in October 2025, with the formal integration into the public system completed in the final days of April. The transition means that staff at Northern Beaches Hospital will now work under the same conditions as their counterparts at other public hospitals across the state — including nurse-to-patient ratios, which healthcare unions have long argued are fundamental to safe and effective care. A Decade of Campaigning The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association (NSWNMA) began opposing the privatisation of Northern Beaches Hospital 13 years ago, when the then-Coalition government announced plans to operate the new Frenchs Forest facility as a PPP with Healthscope. The union warned...