The New South Wales government has announced a snap review of serious hospital maintenance issues after a mould outbreak in a transplant ward at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred hospital left two patients dead in late 2025.
The health minister, Ryan Park, on Monday pledged that the health system will work “as quickly as possible” to rectify issues which span possums to asbestos, as well as pigeons and bird lice.
The snap review so far identified 112 non-routine issues over the past year, of which more than half (74) have been resolved, 32 are currently being rectified while six are “being looked at more closely”.
In a statement Park said: “We know that governments of all persuasions have experienced these challenges that have been reported publicly including mosquitos at Liverpool Hospital in 2019; crickets at Goulburn Hospital in 2021; beetles at Coffs Harbour Hospital in 2020; mould at Wyong in 2013; and asbestos, leaking roof, and a possum at Concord Hospital in 2016.
“I now know of maintenance issues not known to have been reported in the media including flies at Royal North Shore in 2019; birds at Westmead in 2017; cockroaches at Wyong in 2017; possums at Balmain in 2012; pigeons at Gladesville in 2017 and bird lice at Tamworth in 2022,” Park said.
Based on health documents uncovered by the opposition, the shadow health minister, Sarah Mitchell, accused the government of not having acted on maintenance and hygiene issues, including some that were first reported back in 2023.
Mitchell said “patients go to hospital for treatment and care, not to be put in further danger due to toxic mould, or conditions caused by bird droppings and dead pigeons in roof cavities and air-conditioning units”.
“Hygiene in hospitals is paramount and my heart breaks for the families who have lost loved ones to these illnesses. My genuine fear is this is the tip of the iceberg and there is more to be uncovered. I sincerely hope not,” Mitchell said.
Park’s statement acknowledged: “In a state that has endured a spate of severe weather events, it is unrealistic to pledge that there will never be maintenance issues.
“But I can pledge that the health system will work as quickly as possible to rectify them.”
At a statewide level, NSW Health meets identified targets for hospital-acquired infections, which are monitored by the the Clinical Excellence Commission and the NSW Ministry of Health, his statement said.
All hospitals have also undergone independent assessment and met national standards over the past two years, including specific standards related to hospital cleanliness, he added.
Of the issues uncovered by the snap review, the Hunter New England local health district had four issues being rectified while five issues had been resolved.
On the mid-north coast, eight issues were largely the result of severe weather events – of which seven were being rectified and one was being looked at more closely.
The snap review also identified further work was needed to fully rectify issues including “ongoing challenges with pigeons at RPA and Tamworth”, roof rectification works at Muswellbrook and four facilities in northern NSW, mould and maintenance issues with hydrotherapy services in the mid-north coast, as well as water ingress from storm damage and plumbing issues at Coonabarabran.
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