Union slams privatisation of hospital pool

Staff at Sydney's Prince of Wales hospital will stop over moves to privatise the hospital's pool. Source: AAP

THE Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney is set to meet budget cuts by privatising its hydrotherapy pool but outraged union members claim it will jeopardise patient care.

Health Service Union (HSU) staff will stop work to protest the move at midday on Monday, said the union's NSW secretary Gerard Hayes on Sunday.

"How can patients at the Prince of Wales have confidence that their recovery will be the priority when a new private operator has commercial objectives to meet?" he said.

Mr Hayes said the pool "sell-off" would provide part of the $35 million in savings the hospital must find to meet the NSW government's $3 billion in health cuts.

It's believed it is the first move of its kind in NSW.

The hour-long protest at High Cross Park also marks the official launch of the HSU's "O'Farrell Cuts, We Bleed campaign", which will travel across the state for the next six months.

"Daily, our members are reporting cuts like these ones," Mr Hayes said in a statement.

The union is using the privatisation of the hydrotherapy pool as an example of how cuts to the health budget will devastate staff and patients.

Mr Hayes said the facility was crucial for people suffering cerebral palsy, post-polio syndrome, musculoskeletal conditions and breast cancer.

"Yet the O'Farrell government wants to turn the pool over to a private operator, whose main imperative will be to turn a quick buck," he said.

"We intend to fight him on this, every step of the way."

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