The Federal Government has struck a deal with the country's 657 private hospitals, giving the Commonwealth access to another 34,000 hospital beds to help tackle the coronavirus crisis.
The private hospitals will also be required to free up much-needed personal protective equipment and essential equipment like ventilators.
In exchange, the Commonwealth will guarantee the survival of private hospitals during the period while elective surgery, which is their main form of income, is cancelled.
"It will bring over 105,000 full and part-time hospital staff, including 57,000 of our amazing nurses and midwives," Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
"It guarantees them their future … but most importantly it brings their resources to the fight against coronavirus COVID-19 in Australia."
The plan will cost $1.3 billion, but the Government insists it will spend more if needed.
Among the services private hospitals will offer include:
- Treating public patients — both those with and without coronavirus
- Category one elective surgery
- Expanded intensive care capacity
- Accommodation for quarantine and isolation cases
Category one surgeries are for life-threatening conditions and include urgent procedures such as limb amputations and heart surgery.
Coronavirus infection rate drops, more in
Australia's rate of coronavirus infections has dropped to 9 per cent, down from between 25 to 30 per cent a week ago.
That drop came after the National Cabinet forced the closure of pubs, clubs, sporting and entertainment facilities and imposed restrictions on most gatherings.
"This progress is early, it's significant, but now, with these additional rules around gatherings and movement, we are going the next step to help reduce again the level of infection, and to support our containment," Mr Hunt said.
"All of that is then backed by our attempts and our plans and the reality of improving capacity."
The deal with private hospitals will give the Commonwealth access to more intensive care beds, needed to treat the worst-affected coronavirus patients.
As of Tuesday lunchtime, there were 20 Australians with COVID-19 in ventilated intensive care beds across the country.
Australia normally has around 2,200 ventilated intensive care beds available, one third of them in the private sector.
The Government is working to increasing the number of ventilated intensive care beds to 7,500.
