The New South Wales (NSW) Government has announced that it has received bids for the redevelopment of five hospitals in the Australian state.

In September, NSW invited Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from non-government hospital operators to deliver redevelopments of Maitland, Wyong, Goulburn and Shellharbour hospitals and to support the delivery of services at the redeveloped Bowral Hospital.

The bids received have not been undisclosed yet, but according to Health Minister Jillian Skinner, the government has received an excellent response from hospital operators for Maitland, Wyong and Shellharbour hospitals. 

However, the Goulburn hospital will not be developed under a PPP basis, as there was not sufficient interest to give the government confidence that better outcomes could be achieved. The project will be built traditionally and construction will begin this term.

Under the partnership plan, successful operators would construct the hospitals then run them on behalf of the NSW Government, with all public patients continuing to have access to publicly funded, world-class healthcare.

These projects have drawn criticism from Health Services Union (HSU). Illawarra-Shoalhaven organiser Renee Cross said its members were vehemently opposed to public-private operations.

As we reported in September, the NSW Government committed more than AUD1 billion (US$753 million) at the 2015 state election to redevelop or upgrade the five hospitals, with works to get underway this term. The Government announced more than AUD5 billion (US$3.8 billion) for new health infrastructure projects during this term and is on track to deliver its election commitments.