The new Director-General for NSW Health, Dr Mary Foley, has written to staff of the department, outlining reforms proposed in discussions between the Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner, and Governing Council Chairs and Chief Executives of Local Health Networks, Clinical Support Division Chief Operating Officers, and the senior executive of the Department of Health.

 

Dr Foley said the Minister had asked her to chair a Transition Taskforce to support the commencement of the Government's reforms.

 

Members of the Transition Taskforce are:

  • Dr Nigel Lyons – Chief Executive Health Reform Transition Organisation (Northern), NSW Health
  • Adjunct Professor Debra Thoms – Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, NSW Health
  • Mr Chris Puplick AM – Former Chair Central Sydney Area Health Service
  • Professor Denis King – Chairperson, Governing Council Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health Network
  • Mr Tom Callachor – Chief of Staff to the Minister for Health and Minister for Medical Research

 

Dr Foley said she wanted the Transition Taskforce to collect ideas from across the health system.  She said the Minister was “committed to strengthening local decision-making and accountability at network and hospital level”.

 

“Over the coming weeks I will be considering what changes need to be made to best achieve this. I will be examining how the important functions within the Clinical Support Division (Northern, Southern and Western) could be better structured to maintain efficiency and effectiveness, and underpin authority and accountability at the local level.”

 

Dr Foley said she was aiming to announce revisions to current structures before the end of the financial year.