Mater has announced it is purchasing Healthscope’s Gold Coast Private Hospital. The acquisition comes after Healthscope was placed in receivership in May last year with $1.6 billion of debt. Source: The Catholic Leader.
Mater board chair Patrick Brady said on Monday the purchase would ensure the continuation of high-quality private healthcare on the Gold Coast and provide long-term security for the hospital’s 1400 employees.
Mr Brady said the hospital’s many clinical and surgical specialties – including maternity and obstetrics, cardiac surgery, intensive care and emergency services – aligned closely with services delivered at Mater hospitals.
“Mater’s exceptional healthcare has been trusted by patients across Queensland for more than 120 years and we are delighted to extend our Mission-driven services to the Gold Coast,” Mr Brady said.
“We appreciate that this has been an uncertain time for Gold Coast Private Hospital, but Mater’s plan is focused on the long-term.
“We are looking forward to providing exceptional healthcare to Gold Coasters for generations to come.”
Mater will work in partnership with Healthscope to ensure a smooth transfer of Gold Coast Private Hospital and its workforce, a process expected to take at least six months to complete.
In the meantime, the hospital will remain under Healthscope ownership and all hospital operations will continue as normal.
The 33,000sqm Gold Coast Private Hospital cost $230m to build and opened in 2016.
A $50m hospital expansion at the freehold site was completed in 2018, taking its total number of beds to 331 and the number of operating theatres to 21.
“Mater is pleased to have acquired such a comprehensive and high-quality asset on a freehold hospital building,” Mr Brady said.
“The costs of constructing new hospitals are significant – Mater’s new Springfield hospital will cost more than $450m and is around half the size of Gold Coast Private Hospital – so this purchase represents an exceptional expansion strategy for Mater.”
Mater is Queensland’s largest not-for-profit healthcare provider and its statewide network of 11 hospitals treats almost 700,000 patients a year.
FULL STORY
Mater confirms acquisition of Gold Coast Private Hospital (The Catholic Leader)
