Holdsworth

I am a person in Home Care in their mid- 70's. Some years ago I experienced a major structural event that resulted in great pain and debilitation, which is still the case. I was awarded a high level Home Care Package. At the time I was impressed by reviews of Holdsworth Community and appointed them as my Home Care Provider. For a few months all worked out well but my then case manager did not follow up on a number of essential maintenance items for over a year and the issues remained. I battled to receive a response to communications.

He wrongly addressed an essential item even though he had my correct address and, after advising him, he told me to sort it out myself, as he had no time and that I would no longer receive any more essential products!

As a consequence of this treatment, I felt compelled to leave Holdsworth and joined another HCP provider who charged a far lesser fee and who provided excellent service, but because the transport division of Holdsworth was kind to me, and still is to this day, I continued to use them, almost exclusively, for many years.

This year though, under a new CEO, the cost of transport went up for those with a HCP from $40 a return to $50 a return and from 1 September 2025 to $70 a return, even if the trip is around the corner. This an increase of 75% in under a year. I need to take transport almost every day for medical purposes meaning an extra circa 7-8K off my package annually from the initial base of $40.

Like all Community transport services, the company is able to take more than one paying customer at once and often does.

The manager of Holdsworth transport division was very kind and sympathetic and based on my current spend of over 1K per month, and growing, tried her best to obtain a loyalty and volume concession for me as I need my remaining funds for physio, podiatry, hydro, maintenance, and many other areas. However both the new CEO and the board rejected my request outright advising me that a 75% increase in trip costs is justified as they needed more income to cover costs. But 75% in a year!!

In this regard I was told by the CEO and the co-chairs that my years of loyalty and my current spend did not count at all so far as my request was concerned and therefore if I cannot afford Holdsworth transport I should go elsewhere. These are not their advertised brand values or published ethos.

I also noticed that the many Holdsworth staff became very unhappy under the new regime and this impacted me. I suggested to the board that they undertake professional market research in this regard as staff are at the forefront of the company brand. This is unlikely to happen though, in my view.

They do commission an internal happiness survey annually but I was told these were not released in 2025.

I placed a comment on an appropriate Facebook page of Holdsworth but the entire post and comment was removed. So much for allowing openness.

On 5 December 2025 I was sent an email summarily terminating my transport services. I asked for specifics as to why but did not even receive a reply. Nor was I given any opportunity to discuss this. I had many medical appintments booked the next week. How would you feel in my situation?

My hope is that Holdsworth will, in future, attain leadership that once again aligns its humanitarian brand values with stakeholders at all levels and that these drivers determine their actions and interactions.

I am a person in Home Care level 4, of 76. Some years ago I experienced a major structural event that resulted in extreme pain and debilitation, which is still the case. I was awarded a high level Home Care Package. At that time I was impressed by reviews of Holdsworth Community and appointed them as my Home Care Provider. For a few months all worked out well but my then case manager did not follow up on a number of essential maintenance items for over a year. So nothing happened. He did not respond to communications as well, for much of the time.

He also wrongly addressed an essential item for me even though he had my correct address and, after advising him, he told me to sort it out myself, as he had no time and that I would now not receive any more products!

As a consequence, I was compelled to leave Holdsworth and join another HCP provider who charged a far lesser fee and who provided excellent service, but because the transport division of Holdsworth was kind to me and I continued to use them, almost exclusively, for many years. This cost comes off my package.

In 2025, under a new CEO the cost of transport went up for those with a HCP from $40 a return to $50 a return and from 1 September 2025 to $70 a return, even if the trip is around the corner. Some trips are under 2K away.

A 75% increase in under a year. I need to take transport almost every day for medical purposes meaning thousans extra come off my package annually. Like all Community transport services, the company can take more than one paying customer at once.

The then manager of transport, who was subsequently dismissed, was very kind and sympathetic and based on my current spend of over 1K per month, and growing, said I deserved a loyalty and volume concession. I need my remaining funds for physio, podiatry, hydro, home maintenance, etc.

However, the new CEO and the board rejected the request outright saying that a 75% increase was justified as they needed more income to cover costs. But 75% increase in a year is grossly unfair in my view. Imagine if Coles, Woolworths or a telco did this there would be outrage.

Both said my years of loyalty and spend did not count and that if I cannot afford Holdsworth transport I should go elsewhere. The board member I wrote to only spoke to the CEO and repeated what he said. The CEO did not even offer to match the other major provider of transport in East Sydney. This is cold heartlessness and poor business rationale.

These are, however, not their advertised brand values or published ethos, nor what I would have expected from top management and the board but in my view there has been a noticeable decline in many areas under the new hierarchy.

I have been told by multiple staff members and also witnessed first hand that many Holdsworth staff I know have become very unhappy under the new regime. I am sorry for their stress.

I suggested to the board that they undertake professional market research in this regard as staff are at the forefront of the company brand. This is unlikely though.

Holdsworth have an internal happiness survey every year but in 2025, I was told by a staffer that, for the first time, the outcome, was not released!

I placed a comment on an appropriate Facebook post of Holdsworth Community but the entire post and comment was removed. So much for allowing openness.

On Friday 5th December 2025 I was sent an email immediately terminating my transport services. I had many medical appointments booked the next week in my handicapped state. I asked for specific details of what I was accused of as I wanted to have an opportunity to discuss and defend this baseless accusation. They simply did not like my honest opinion and I never even had the decency of a reply! In my opinion this is far worse than being simply unfair. This happened after the response below.

My hope is that Holdsworth will, in future, attain worthy leadership that once again aligns its humanitarian brand values with stakeholders at all levels and that these drivers determine their actions.