'Joe's Law' banning public-private hospital partnerships after toddler’s death

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The NSW premier revealed the state government is open to buying back Sydney’s northern beaches hospital. It comes after inadequate care led to the death of two-year-old Joe Massa. The toddler's name is set to be enshrined in legislation, as the government moves to ban public private partnerships at emergency care with "Joe's law".

Transcript

00:00Little feet that have left a big mark.

00:05We are making sure that what happened to Joe doesn't happen to anybody else.

00:09When Joe Massa's parents first met with the Premier last month, they gave him one of his

00:13boots as a reminder of their fight for change.

00:16Today it paid off.

00:18To Elise and Danny, I know that I speak on behalf of all members of this house in expressing

00:25our sincere condolences.

00:27The Government put forth legislation banning the use of public-private partnerships to

00:31run urgent care hospitals like Northern Beaches Hospital.

00:34It will be affectionately known as Joe's Hall, after a brave little boy.

00:40Hours after being admitted there in September, the two-year-old was dead.

00:44A review found multiple failings in his treatment.

00:47It's substandard.

00:49Healthscope is contracted to run the hospital until 2038, but with the company in financial

00:54trouble and preparing to potentially sell the business, the Premier is open to a buy-back.

00:59I'm not going to rule anything out in relation to Northern Beaches.

01:02I'm not ruling anything out.

01:04Healthscope declined to say whether it's interested in exiting the deal, but noted government

01:08data showing the hospital was performing strongly compared to peer hospitals on a range of measures.

01:14The Government is working with a crossbench and is confident it has the numbers to pass

01:17the bill with or without the opposition's support.

01:21We haven't had the results of a coronial inquest yet and inquiries, but as I said on

01:25the bill itself, we'll await the detail.

01:27Today Joe's parents brought another pair of his shoes, in the hope no other parents will

01:32have to walk in theirs.

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