This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Sydney’s troubled Northern Beaches hospital opened in late 2018 without adequate planning or preparation and there were staffing issues weeks after it began receiving patients, according to a new report.

The $600m public-private hospital came under scrutiny when it officially opened in November 2018.

The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, at the time acknowledged “teething problems” but said the facility had been functioning from day one “as though it has been around for a long time”.

Botched surgery at new Sydney hospital removes wrong side of cancer patient's bowel Read more

However, the Health Education and Training Institute report compiled after a 10 December site visit said the situation at the hospital was unsustainable and “only working” at all because of the commitment by junior medical officers “to continue providing a service under adverse conditions”.

That initial report, made public on Tuesday, identified numerous issues including inadequate staffing levels, particularly after hours, inadequate planning and preparation for the opening, and a lack of policies and protocols to support safe work practice.

A follow-up report in January offered better news, saying the hospital had made significant overall progress in addressing problems although there were still ongoing issues such as a “less than ideal” reliance on locum staff.

Labor’s NSW health spokesman, Walt Secord, on Tuesday said the reports showed “from the moment that the Northern Beaches hospital opened its doors last year it has lurched from crisis to crisis”.