THE Mount Gambier Health Advisory Council has welcomed the Marshall Government’s sweeping reform of public health governance with the introduction of new regional boards of management.
During the sitting of parliament, Health Minister Stephen Wade introduced a bill outlining the State Government’s plans to decentralise regional health through the establishment of six local health networks responsible for sub-regional governance.
The South East Local Health Network will be based on the current regional boundaries and include Mount Gambier, Millicent, Kingston, Penola, Naracoorte and Bordertown hospitals, as well as the private Keith facility.
The governing boards will consist of between six to eight members, two of which will be clinicians, with appointments based on merit.
Mr Wade said board members would be required to have knowledge across health management, commercial management, financial management, law, health service provision, clinical governance and “any other experience that will enable their effective performance”.
Mount Gambier Hospital HAC presiding member Maureen Klintberg praised the government’s emphasis on the range of skills required of both the chair and members.
She added the committee was optimistic the boards would be empowered to ensure services “are reflective of local needs and priorities with the ability to effectively manage available resources”.
“Our members had indicated before this bill the need for regional board members to be appointed with the appropriate skills,” she said.
“The inclusion of clinicians to ensure clinical input into health service decisions is something we believe to be highly valuable, in particular when combined with the initiative to establish committees to engage with local clinicians and the community.
“The health advisory council will thus be an important link as we have already engaged with the community and continue to build links and knowledge of local health issues.”
A key plank of the Liberal Party’s regional-specific election policy, the move to dismantle Country Health SA and implement one state-wide, three metropolitan and six regional boards of management will be headed by 10 “high calibre, strategic and experienced” board directors.
Applications have opened for governing board chairs – including a renumeration of up to $70,000 per year – with appointments to be made by Mr Wade by July 31.
The second stage will see an expression of interest process for board members, which will occur later this year and in the lead up to the operation of the boards by July 1, 2019.
