More than 300 cleaners will join the permanent staff ranks of Canberra's public health system in a move the government argues will benefit workers and the hospital despite a higher cost.
The cleaners working across Canberra Hospital and other community health facilities will join the staff on October 1, along with gardeners at the hospital, meaning they will no longer face different contracts with changing providers.
The ACT budget this year showed it would cost the government $13.8 million over four years to take cleaning and food services in-house.
