Staff agencies are set to be the loser when Barwon Health accepts 117 workers from the closure of Geelong Private Hospital, State Government has revealed.
Health Minister Jill Hennessy’s office told the Indy this week that Barwon Health would make room for the former HealthScope employees “by converting agency positions to permanent jobs.
The move would bring back in-house jobs that had been “subcontracted out”.
The minister’s office supplied the explanation this week after Liberal MP Simon Ramsay questioned the “legitimacy” of Barwon Health accepting so many additional jobs.
The intake indicated either that Barwon Health was severely under-staffed or the Andrews Government was blowing out Victoria’s public service wages by another $9 million, Mr Ramsay said.
“Does Barwon Health pay for this or will the state have to pump more money in?” he asked.
A spokesperson for Ms Hennessy said the HealthScope staff only lost their jobs because the Liberals “crowded the market” when they green-lighted another private hospital at Waurn Ponds when last in government.
“It seems everyone but the Liberals are happy to see our hard-working health services staff find the positions they deserve after what’s been a challenging period,” the spokesperson said.
“The Geelong Private Hospital is closing because the Liberals broke a promise to build a second public hospital for Geelong and instead threw a third private provider into the market.”
Barwon Health indicated it would deploy the additional staff to cover a shortfall in elective surgery resources, replace agency casuals and fill vacant positions.
“Barwon Health has been hiring two operating theatres from Geelong Private over the past few months to help address its elective surgery waiting list,” a spokesperson said.
“The arrangement involved HealthScope nursing, support staff and Barwon Health doctors. Barwon Health will hire HealthScope staff to maintain this service.”
The new HealthScope staff would also help Barwon Health avoid the 50 per cent premium on payment for agency staff to cover short-notice absences, the spokesperson said.
The new supply of staff would expand Barwon Health’s “casual pool”, reducing the service’s reliance on agencies.
“We are also encouraging Geelong Private Hospital staff to apply for many of the vacancies that we have at present,” the spokesperson said.
“We will now be able to use this pool of quality staff to fill remaining open positions. At any given time we have up to 60 vacancies at Barwon Health.”
HealthScope announced this month that Geelong Private had become “unviable”. The company is due to complete operations at the hospital this month.
Barwon Plan has announced it will take over the site, opposite its Ryrie St public hospital, to provide maternal and paediatric services.
The building operated as public Baxter House Maternity Hospital from 1954 until HealthScope took over in the late 1990s.
