Newcastle Private Hospital faces IVF ban under Catholic takeover
Calvary Health Care is taking over Newcastle Private Hospital. The takeover would ban IVF and terminations.
Newcastle Private Hospital is being taken over by Calvary Health Care. Calvary is a Catholic organisation.
Calvary bans IVF, terminations, vasectomies, tubal ligation, gender-affirming care and voluntary assisted dying at its facilities. The takeover would affect more than 1000 IVF patients a year.
IVF services may need to move to day surgeries in the region. There is also concern that the right to terminations at Newcastle Private could be taken away.
These are usually done for fetal abnormalities. The public has until tonight to comment on the licence transfer.
NSW Greens health spokesperson Amanda Cohn said a Catholic organisation could soon control three hospitals in the Hunter region, including the Mater. Hunter Workers Women's Committee is holding a protest at Civic Park on Sunday.
Local MPs have raised urgent concerns with NSW Health. Calvary Health Care's takeover was granted under a receivership.
This came after Healthscope's financial difficulties.
- 1000+
- IVF patients affected annually
- 3 including Mater
- Calvary hospitals in Hunter region
- midnight tonight
- Public comment closes
- Sunday at noon
- Protest at Civic Park
Why it mattersA private hospital changing operators can restrict legal medical services. This puts reproductive healthcare and end-of-life options hard to reach for residents who cannot access them elsewhere.
AustraliaWomen and patients in the Newcastle and Hunter region would lose immediate access to IVF, terminations and other procedures, with potential impacts for several years.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 41 min ago
