Hospital to close doors 75 staff given as little as two days notice

viability of the Varsity Lakes business after it posted a $6 million loss last financial year.

“It’s the last position we wanted to find ourselves in,” Healthe Care CEO Steve Atkins said said yesterday.

“We really worked hard to find a solution and we just couldn’t land on one.”

Mr Atkins said of all 13 facilities acquired by Healthe Care across Australia, the Varsity site, opened less than two years, posed the most challenges. “Most of our diligence really has been on that Gold Coast site.”

Mr Atkins said staff would receive assistance with “redeployment” and could be eligible for relocation support up to $10,000 at other Healthe Care facilities.

He said staff were given short notice of the hospital’s closure because Healthe Care did not take over Pulse Health until yesterday afternoon.

One worker who asked not to be named said it was an insult that management had not consulted with staff or unions and let speculation about the centre’s future run rampant.

“They’re turfed out on their (expletive),” he said of the staff.

“Some of the doctors have already pulled their operating lists. I thought they had an obligation to consult with the union.” Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union secretary Beth Mohle said Gold Coast Surgical Hospital bosses were given a list of questions on Monday night after staff knew of their fate.

Ms Mohle said it was concerning the first the union heard of proposals to close the business was in the Gold Coast Bulletin.

“These situations are always incredibly distressing. Our organisers are going to be supporting them,” she said.