Private bids on new RAH site kept under wraps
The State Government is refusing to say how many private health operators have registered their interest in developing a private hospital on the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site.
Registrations of interest in the option of a co-located private hospital closed late last month, with SA Health to begin discussions with interested operators within weeks.
However, the department would not reveal how many operators showed interest in the proposed development, saying the information was commercial-in-confidence.
“SA Health will now arrange to meet with the interested parties in late April/early May to determine whether the co-location is a feasible option, based on service need and site capacity,” a spokesperson told InDaily.
President of the Australian Medical Association (SA Branch) Dr Patricia Montanaro said the refusal to disclose more information about the process was typical of the government’s limited approach to public consultation on health reform.
“It’s the same way that they are going about Transforming Health,” she said.
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“There’s a lack of discussion with the public.
“There’s not the level of conversation that we would expect.
“Given the people of South Australia pay the bills, I would have thought that being open and transparent about those things (was appropriate).”
However, SA director of operations and strategy at the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Rob Bonner said it was normal for the number of expressions of interest to be kept under wraps during a market sounding process.
“In terms of the process itself, I don’t think it’s particularly unusual,” said Bonner.
“It’s not a full tender process.
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“It’s only a request for information.”
Nonetheless, Bonner said the nurses’ union had reservations about the proposed private hospital.
“The reservations are: where is the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital site going to be situated, versus the (private hospital); what kind of work will the private beds do; will that advantage the private operator versus other private operators because of the co-location next to the Royal Adelaide, and so on,” he said.
The State Government plans to move the Women’s and Children’s Hospital onto the new hospital site at part of its Transforming Health process.
Opposition health spokesperson Stephen Wade said he doubted there was any legitimate reason to keep the number of registrations of interest commercial-in-confidence after the registrations of interest period had closed.
“I’m incredulous that the number of expressions of interest would be commercial-in-confidence,” he said.
“It’s concerning in the context of the lack of transparency in the whole project.
“The project is not subject to Public Works Committee oversight, despite the fact that it is the largest public works project in the state’s history.
“We need transparency on the private hospital project, because having spent $2.1 billion on the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australian taxpayers want to make sure it enhances the functionality of the precinct rather than undermining it.
“It definitely has transparency requirements, particularly when you’re talking about making precious land resources in a health precinct available to the private sector.”
He said that while the Liberal Party was open to the co-location of a private hospital on the site, he was concerned that the public hospital maintain enough land to expand in future.
Late last year, Health Minister Jack Snelling said the possible co-location would help attract and retain key medical staff by offering senior clinicians the option to work in both the public and private sectors on the same site.
Photo: Nat Rogers/InDaily
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