16 October 2007

Royal North Shore Hospital getting on with the job

NSW Minister for Health, Reba Meagher, today updated Parliament on a range of important new initiatives which have been implemented by the new management team at Royal North Shore Hospital.

"Soon after coming to the Health portfolio it became clear to me that there were hospital and management performance issues at Royal North Shore Hospital," the Minister told Parliament.

"In her very first week, the new Director-General of Health replaced the Chief Executive of the Area Health Service and put in a new management team.

"The new team has been getting on with the job of implementing improvements and responding when new issues arise."

Ms Meagher said new initiatives include:

• An independent review of bullying and harassment undertaken by Vern Dalton, former senior public servant and Judith Meppem, former Chief Nursing Officer for NSW. New Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service chief executive Matthew Daly has publicly stated his zero-tolerance approach to bullying.
• The establishment of a Chief Executive's Nursing Taskforce, consisting of nurses at all levels within the hospital, which has developed a timetable for action to address specific concerns about staffing, environmental, and communication issues within the hospital that can impact on patient care.
• The establishment of a Clinical Reference Group, consisting of senior doctors from across the hospital to work with the new Chief Executive to develop and implement an action plan to restore consumer and staff confidence in the hospital.
• The establishment of a Professional Practice Unit (PPU) to receive and investigate complaints from patients, their families or staff. This dedicated complaints handling unit also acts as a point of liaison with other independent investigative bodies such as the Health Care Complaints Commission.
• The hospital has a process underway to actively address the underlying causes of delays in the Emergency Department, for both Ambulance and other arrivals.

Ms Meagher said an external facilitator, University of Newcastle Chancellor Professor Trevor Waring, has been engaged to facilitate a series of mandatory information and education sessions for all staff to reinforce the zero tolerance policy in relation to bullying.

In addition, Jan Elliott, a senior manager with significant clinical redesign experience, has been seconded to work with Royal North Shore Hospital to improve the access for patients requiring Emergency Department services and those patients admitted to the hospital via the ED.

"At the same time as the Opposition is taking every opportunity to kick down the reputation of this great hospital, I know that the staff at Royal North Shore Hospital are committed to working with the new management to get the hospital back on the front foot," Ms Meagher said.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au