05 July 2010

Second Independent Report on NSW Health Reforms

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Health, Carmel Tebbutt, has today released the second six-monthly report of the Independent Panel set up to monitor the implementation of NSW health reform.

“This is the second report from Independent panel to track our progress in implementing Caring Together, The Health Action Plan for NSW,” said Ms Tebbutt.

“The report by the Independent Panel, chaired by John Walsh, is based on interviews with more than 300 clinicians and NSW health staff across a range of health facilities.

“The Government is committed to transparency and openness in the implementation of Caring Together and I welcome the Panel's report,” she said.

Mr Walsh said: “Since the release of the Panel's first six-monthly report in November 2009, substantial progress has been made by NSW Health, particularly with respect to strengthening local decision making and providing more formal mechanisms for sharing and implementing best practice across the Health Services.”

The report finds that Caring Together is being implemented across our hospitals to improve patients' experiences of their care.

In particular, the Independent Panel found that good progress has been made in the following areas:

• the appointment of Garling workforce initiatives including clinical support officers, clinical pharmacists and clinical initiatives nurse;
• further development of the Agency for Clinical Innovation and Bureau of Health Information (BHI), including the release of the BHI's first report;
• continued work by the Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) which informs system wide improvements in the health system;
• roll-out of Between the Flags to our hospitals;
• continued roll-out of the hand hygiene program;
• More than 240 wards completing Essentials of Care and Take the Lead
• New clinical handover guidelines;
• Mandating of hospital clinical councils to enhance clinician engagement; and
• Establishment of the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (Randwick and Westmead), a new Child and Youth Health Branch in the Department and the appointment of a Chief Paediatrician for the first time.

“This year $125 million has been allocated to continue implementing our reform program in the acute care system” Ms Tebbutt said. Key Caring Together initiatives in 2010/11 include:

• $7 million to expand the clinician post-graduate training program and to provide additional, patient focussed culture change training.
• Continued implementation of new hand hygiene policy.
• Expansion of Between the Flags to include paediatric and obstetric patients.
• Continued roll-out of the Essentials of Care and Take the Lead programs.
• Finalisation of best practice principles for the supervision of junior doctors.
• Establishment of Clinical Education and Training Institute which will support innovative multi-disciplinary training programs to ensure a sustainable health workforce

A full copy of the report will be available at http://healthactionplan.nsw.gov.au/files/Media_and_Useful_Links/Second_Independent_Report_on_NSW_Health_Reforms.pdf