Page 3759 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 September 2018
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Of course there are problems, but they can be uncovered and addressed. The process must not undermine the commitment and work of so many of our wonderful nurses, doctors, allied health professionals and other staff that work so hard to ensure the ACT and region has outstanding health care facilities.
Change is possible. Where problems are identified they can be improved. However, this can only happen if there is a positive culture of respect and a willingness to address specific issues.
The ACT has its own unique challenges and opportunities, just like every jurisdiction. I have worked hard as minister to understand these issues by talking with a very wide range of experts—doctors, nurses, allied health staff, partner organisations and stakeholder groups across the city, consumers and patients in our health system, and to understand the challenges and opportunities that they see.
Given these issues, I have been taking a serious and strategic look at the health of our system in the context of our growing city and the challenges and opportunities faced in health. Some of these include a growing and ageing population, and an increasing burden of chronic disease. Among the opportunities there are extraordinary advances in technology and innovation, research findings and an increasingly engaged, well-skilled and collaborative health sector.
We have much to be proud of and confident in, and we have some things to improve. This year has certainly been a difficult year for ACT Health, but it has also been a turning point, for a number of reasons.
I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate some of the strategic changes that are taking place and some of the achievements of ACT Health and public health care in Canberra this year alone. Strategically, we have made a significant shift in planning for truly territory-wide health services, from the territory-wide health services planning work and territory-wide health infrastructure planning, to negotiating a new strategic agreement with Calvary.
We have made significant changes in governance and leadership in the organisation. On 1 October ACT Health will separate into two organisations. I have spoken extensively about this and will continue to do so. Importantly for the delivery of public health care, one organisation, Canberra health services, will be dedicated to clinical service delivery—a modern, streamlined organisation to focus entirely on clinical services and let our clinicians get on with doing their best job.
The other organisation, the ACT Health Directorate, will focus entirely on what is an increasingly complex health system, drive system-wide approaches, collaborate across the private and community health sector, ensure effective engagement with state and commonwealth governments, and ensure that the ACT meets its increasingly complex reporting requirements.
This is part of the journey of strategic change we are making to ensure our health services remain contemporary and effective and that we have the right governance
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