Geelong could lose almost 300 jobs with the city’s private hospital to close following an announcement by its operator on Tuesday.
Healthscope will “sensitively and respectfully” close Geelong Private Hospital over the next four weeks, chief executive officer Gordon Ballantyne announced.
“While the decision to close Geelong Private has been a very difficult one for Healthscope, this decision was only reached after extensive consideration of alternative options for our business.”
Geelong Private Hospital opened in 1998 and Healthscope took over operations in 2013.
The 107-bed private hospital employs 293 people and provides acute surgical, cardiac and medical care.
The closure of the hospital reflected “a changed healthcare environment” in Geelong, Mr Ballantyne said.
“Significant new hospital infrastructure development in Geelong in recent years means that clinicians and patients now have a range of other hospital treatment options.”
Healthscope contacted all of its employees prior to the announcement, according to a company statement.
“We are acutely aware that this will be a very difficult time for many of our staff,” Mr Ballantyne said.
“We are working proactively with them to explore redeployment and relocation opportunities at other Healthscope locations including locally at the Geelong Clinic.”
The company had also contacted patients at the hospital or with future treatment scheduled to ensure the closure did not affect their care, the statement read.
Healthscope would continue to run its 45-bed private mental health hospital, the Geelong Clinic, Mr Ballantyne said.
The company had invested in seven additional inpatient beds and extra consulting suites for the clinic, he added.
Barwon Health declined to detail any plans to reemploy the private hospital’s staff.
But a spokesperson encouraged them to apply for positions with Barwon Health “when they become available.”
Barwon Health would continue to operate its imaging business, BMI, from the Geelong Private Hospital site, the spokesperson said.
The health provider also uses theatres at Geelong Private Hospital to reduce its elective surgery waiting list.
“We intend to work through the options that could allow us to continue this,” the spokesperson said.
Barwon Health had undertaken consultation to “explore opportunities” to use the site “for the betterment of the community,” the spokesperson said.
“The Geelong community deserves access to affordable, high quality, and safe care.”
