A group of them took to the streets surrounding the hospital on Tuesday morning – dressed in their festive finest – to draw attention to their ongoing campaign.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Shellharbour organiser Carolina Leiva said staff were concerned not only about their jobs – but the level of patient care – under a public-private partnership.

‘’The theme of the rally is ‘All I want for Christmas is to keep Shellharbour Hospital public’,’’ she said. ‘’This plan also affects Port Kembla hospital which is being relocated to Shellharbour. So as well as jobs and services at Shellharbour, services such as palliative care and rehabilitation at Port Kembla are going to be impacted.’’

Prior to the last state election NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner promised $251 million to redevelop the hospital, originally built in 1986. However in September Ms Skinner called for expressions of interest for private hospital operators to ‘’design, build, operate and maintain’’ a redeveloped hospital.

EOIs closed in October and the government is forging ahead with its plans, however Mrs Leiva said there was ‘’no transparency’’.

‘’We haven’t heard anything from Jillian Skinner or Mike Baird – we’ve asked them to come to talk to us but they haven’t,’’ she said. ‘’We’re concerned that private operators will put shareholders, not patients, first.’’

South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris also urged the government to ‘’end the secrecy’’.

‘’There was only one thing missing this year from the Christmas cheer and that was some certainty around our public hospital,’’ he said. 

‘’Hospital workers are out there working for us throughout the festive season, the least we can do is ensure there’s a public hospital out there that’s allowing them to do their job.’’

Yet Ms Skinner said consultation with staff, and the community, was ongoing.

‘’Public patient healthcare will remain free under any partnership with a proven hospital operator to run Shellharbour Hospital.

‘’The advantages of the partnership include better facilities and state-of-the-art equipment, as well as more doctors, nurses and clinical staff – meaning more career opportunities, more local services and less need to travel,’’ she said.

An Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District spokeswoman said moving services from Port Kembla had been part of the district’s long-term plan. Given the recent announcement, the district would look at ‘’how the services currently provided from Port Kembla will fit into the district’s overall network’’.