NSW parliament to investigate hospital after toddler's tragic death

Quality of care at the Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney will be investigated by the NSW Parliament following the tragic death of a toddler who was treated there, the health minister announced today.

The hospital has been under intense scrutiny since the death of two-year-old Joe Massa who was treated at the facility last September.

Health Minister Ryan Park told Ben Fordham on 2GB this morning, the state government had pledged to Joe's parents, Danny and Elouise Massa, it was determined to get to the bottom of the tragedy and to avoid a similar one happening again.

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"To that end, I've asked the NSW Public Accounts Committee to conduct an parliamentary inquiry into the safety and quality of health services provided at that hospital."

Park says the scope of the inquiry will stretch back to October 2018 when the hospital began as a privately operated facility run by Healthscope.

The inquiry will consider incidents at the hospital including those the subject of serious adverse event reviews (SAERs) and examine how the hospital responded.

MPs will also scrutinise how the hospital supports patient and carer escalation, including the Recognise, Engage, Act, Call, Help is on its way (REACH) protocol – which was found to be insufficient in the case of Joe Massa.

The hospital's systems, processes and staff standards will also be put under the spotlight by the committee.

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Another parliamentary inquiry investigated the Northern Beaches Hospital in 2019, which looked at its operation and management.

Last month the NSW Parliament held a hearing into Joe Massa's death in which the Healthscope chief executive apologised to the Massa family.

The couple are fighting for the implementation of Joe's Rule, which would enshrine a parent's right to be heard during the treatment of their children.

The couple is also advocating for the public-private partnership at Northern Beaches Hospital to be scrapped.

Joe's Rule, when implemented, will be introduced across NSW emergency rooms.

NSW Police is investigating the child's death and will prepare a brief for the coroner.

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