Inquiry to Be Conducted Into Cardiac Arrest Death of 2-Year-Old

Joe Massa, 2, died at the hospital in 2024 after allegedly waiting 3 hours for help in the emergency department.

A general view of Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney, Australia, on March 4, 2025. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

A parliamentary inquiry into Northern Beaches Hospital will be conducted following a request by New South Wales (NSW) Health Minister Ryan Park.

This follows the tragic death of Joe Massa, two, who died at the hospital in 2024 after his parents sought medical help for him.

Joe allegedly suffered a cardiac arrest after waiting three hours for help in the emergency department at the hospital. Staff eventually performed CPR but it was too late, he had already suffered irreversible brain damage.

Park wrote to NSW Parliament Public Accounts Committee Chair Jason Yat-Sen Li requesting the meeting following discussions with the two-year-old’s parents, Elouise and Danny.

“The scope of the inquiry will stretch back to the hospital’s commencement as a privately operated facility from October 2018,” NSW Health said.

“It will consider incidents at the hospital including those the subject of serious adverse event reviews (SAERs); how the hospital responded; and the extent to which it implemented changes prompted by those incidents.”

Joe’s parents had previously urged the state government to review the public-private partnership of the hospital and called on NSW Premier Chris Minns to hold a coronial inquest into their son’s death.

In response to news of the inquiry, Northern Beaches hospital operator Healthscope told The Epoch Times on March 14, “Healthscope will co-operate fully with the NSW Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee inquiry into Northern Beaches Hospital.”

Healthscope operates 41 hospitals across Australia and delivers services to public and private patients. It was acquired by Canadian investment firm Brookfield Corporation in 2019.

The government committed to Elouise and Danny that they would undertake the necessary reviews to understand how they and their son were let down.

“As well as to learn what changes need to be made to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again,” Minister Park said.

“I am grateful to the Massas for their generosity in time and spirit in working with us to honour Joe’s memory.”

Li said he was determined to get this inquiry underway as quickly as possible, but he also wanted to ensure it was done right.

“I understand the strong community interest in this matter, and I am confident the committee is well placed to undertake this important inquiry,” the committee chair said.

“We will announce the opening of submissions as well as hearing dates in due course.”

What Happened And Who Is Accountable?

Park has previously described the tragedy at the hospital as “preventable” and indicated he wasn’t happy with the healthcare model at Northern Beaches.

“This hospital is not a model of healthcare I would have preferred in NSW when it was first introduced many years ago,” he told 2GB radio.

“I do not believe that this is the very best model of healthcare that we can do in NSW, the privatisation of it I opposed at the time.”

Park, however, said the parents weren’t looking for explanations—they wanted to know how the government plans to fix it.

In regards to how the hospital let down Joe, Park blamed a triage error, admitting, “We gave him a category three, he should have been a category two. We ignored the fact that his heart rate and other vitals were in a red zone, which normally means we escalate that.”

“And finally, what we didn’t do was listen to the people who know their children best—and that is their Mum and their Dad,” he said.

In a statement on Feb. 27, Healthscope expressed sympathy to the Massa family and admitted there were “unacceptable failings in the treatment of Joe.”

“We are sorry that Joe did not receive the care he deserved at our hospital. We agree with Joe’s parents, Elouise and Danny Massa, that every effort must be made to prevent such a tragedy occurring again and restore the confidence of the community in the hospital,” they said.

Shadow Health Minister Kellie Sloane has previously expressed support for an investigation into the incident in a post to X.

“An absolutely heartbreaking story. Our health system failed little Joe and his family. The least we can do is investigate this thoroughly to ensure no family goes through this again,” she said.