Nursing and Midwifery Ambassadors

Ms COOK (Fisher) (14:26): My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, how are you ensuring that the voice of nurses and midwives is being heard throughout the Transforming Health process?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:26): I thank the member for Fisher for this important question. I know that, unlike some members of this house, the member for Fisher is very, very interested and a very strong advocate for the nursing and midwifery profession, along with, of course, the member for Elder. It is something that I am very proud of, that on this side of the house we have not one, not two, but, in fact, three nurses who are members of the parliamentary Labor Party and are very, very good at holding me to account as the Minister for Health. They are members of a very noble profession.

As the house would be well aware, nurses and midwives make up the state's largest group of health professionals. Any member of the community who has spent time in a hospital, either as a patient or to visit a loved one, would have witnessed the incredible work of our nurses and midwives and would agree they are the backbone of our hospitals. Their knowledge and experience are crucial as our state faces the challenges posed by new technologies, an ageing population, and the steady rise in chronic disease.

In this complex healthcare environment, leading and advocating have never been more challenging or, indeed, more important. It is for this reason I am pleased to announce that I have appointed three Transforming Health deputy clinical nursing and midwifery ambassadors to provide expert advice and play a critical role in linking nurses and midwives and their practice to Transforming Health. I acknowledge the presence of newly appointed nursing and midwifery ambassadors who are in the gallery this afternoon. I extend a very warm welcome to them.

The appointed ambassadors are Mr Stuart Smith, who is a nurse practitioner at the Modbury Hospital emergency department; Ms Gabby Vigar, the Clinical Services Coordinator in radiation oncology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital; and Helen Walker, the Clinical Services Coordinator at the current Daw Park Hospice. I would like to, as I said, acknowledge and welcome them to the chamber today.

Together with Transforming Health Clinical Ambassador, Professor Dorothy Keefe, as well as Adjunct Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars, the Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation of South Australia, I met with the three ambassadors today. I am confident that they are very well equipped to undertake these important roles. All three appointees have many years of experience between them and a wealth of expertise in the nursing profession. They have worked on the ground caring for patients in our hospitals as well as in strategic leadership roles in the public and private sectors both here in Australia and overseas.

Key responsibilities of these ambassadors will include professional leadership, talking to their colleagues about change, providing opportunities for nurses and midwives to become involved in Transforming Health. Ambassadors will have membership on the Transforming Health Ministerial Clinical Advisory Group and will also work closely with the SA branch of the ANMF (the nurses and midwives federation) to ensure appropriate support for nurses and midwives through Transforming Health's change process.

The ambassadors were selected by an expression of interest process, with 27 nursing and midwifery clinical leaders putting their hands up to be considered for these important roles. I am committed to ensuring that Transforming Health continues to be led by our clinicians, and I was very encouraged by the enthusiasm of so many of our clinical nursing and midwifery leaders wanting to take a lead role in this change process. I was also very impressed by the high quality of the applicants. Can I congratulate our newly appointed Transforming Health nursing and midwifery ambassadors, and I look forward to working with them to deliver the high-quality, safe and patient-centred health system that our community deserves.