CEO of Health Now Runs Private Hospitals; Hospitals Must List All Services; CEO Can Order Hospitals to Fix Safety Risks
Private Hospitals Amendment Bill 2026
Introduced by: The Hon Steven Edgington MLA (CLP) — Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Alcohol Policy, Minister for Essential Services, Minister for Health, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Community Development, Minister for Mental Health
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The CEO of Health now takes over all regulatory duties, application decisions, and inspection powers previously held by the Chief Health Officer.
People applying for a private hospital licence must list the medical and surgical treatments and other services the hospital will provide.
The CEO of Health can set specific conditions for a private hospital licence.
The government can now name certain facilities as designated private hospitals. These hospitals must follow specific conditions set by regulation.
If a designated private hospital has both a regulation-based condition and a condition set by the CEO of Health, and the two conflict, the regulation-based condition takes priority.
The CEO of Health can issue a written notice to a hospital licensee after an inspection. This notice can require the licensee to fix a breach of the law, stop a breach from happening again, or manage risks to patient health and welfare within a set time.
Private hospital licensees can only be exempt from certain offences if their conduct breaks a condition specifically imposed on their licence.
These changes do not apply to private hospital licences that were already in force before this law started.