{"id":128595,"date":"2015-11-30T14:33:46","date_gmt":"2015-11-30T04:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=128595"},"modified":"2020-11-03T10:13:02","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T00:13:02","slug":"hospital-decision-delayed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/11\/30\/hospital-decision-delayed\/","title":{"rendered":"South Burnett Private
Hospital Decision Delayed"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
The 22-bed South Burnett Private Hospital … a decision on whether or not the SBRC will run it has been postponed until January<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"SBRC<\/a>
South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann (Photo: SBRC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

November 30, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

A decision on whether the South Burnett Regional Council will take over running the South Burnett Private Hospital has been postponed until January after a potential new operator emerged last week.<\/p>\n

Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said he was advised of an interested party a few days ago, and met with the operators in Brisbane on Friday.<\/p>\n

He has accepted their offer to visit Kingaroy and tour the hospital facility in the near future.<\/p>\n

Because of this eleventh-hour development, the Council will not make a decision on the hospital\u2019s future until further discussions have been held with the operators about their interest in running the hospital.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“It is certainly Council\u2019s preferred option to have a major player in the health field to run the South Burnett Private Hospital,” the Mayor said.<\/p>\n

“Over the last six months I have been working to find a company to take over the management of the hospital.<\/p>\n

“I refuse to give up, and while there is some interest I will continue to do everything I can to see it come to fruition.”<\/p>\n

A due diligence report on the hospital from consultants Ernst & Young has also been received, and has been distributed to Councillors and senior staff for their perusal and input.<\/p>\n

A vote on the report and the future of the facility had been expected at next Wednesday’s Council meeting.<\/p>\n

A decision is now likely to occur at the Council’s first new year meeting on January 13.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tonight Mayor Wayne Kratzmann confirmed to southburnett.com.au that the operator was not one he had previously approached.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The mayor also confirmed Ernst & Young’s report has suggested the hospital would be profitable if it could achieve an average 50 per cent bed occupancy rate.<\/p>\n

The hospital had achieved a rate of up to 70 per cent average occupancy for many years, but in recent years this had dwindled to 25 per cent.<\/p>\n

The Ernst and Young report will be part of an information kit supplied to the potential new operator when discussions take place.<\/p>\n

Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n