MANLY and Mona Vale hospitals, in Sydney’s northern beaches, hit back last night at a report shaming them as among the worst healthcare facilities in Australia.

Twenty-six hospitals and health facilities around Australia were named last week in a report by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards. They have been told to improve their performance within 60 days or risk losing government funding.

A spokesman for the Northern Sydney and Central Coast Health Service said the ACHS criticisms about staffing levels at the two critical care units were being addressed. The units had been trying to fill clinical vacancies.

The spokesman said the appointment of new specialists at Mona Vale would provide a full complement of emergency specialists.