Limestone Coast Local Health Network

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (14:39): My question is to the Minister for Health. Can the minister inform my community when a replacement for Ngaire Buchanan, the CEO of our local health network, will be announced, acknowledging her last day is in 14 days' time?

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:39): I thank the member for his question and for his passion about services in the Limestone Coast area. I particularly would like to thank Ngaire, who has provided excellent service to the Limestone Coast as the inaugural CEO of that health network. We understand the rationale for her wanting to take on other opportunities and I think go back to New Zealand, but we thank her very much for her service.

I understand that there is a recruitment process underway. Obviously, under the Health Care Act we now have a devolved model of management, and the local health network board and its chair, Grant King, are leading that process. Under the Health Care Act, as members may be aware, the appointment of the CEO is not a matter for the minister or a matter for the department chief executive or other members of the department. It is a matter for that local devolved board to appoint their own chief executive officer in consultation with the department and the minister, but ultimately it's their decision, so they have been going through a process.

I understand that they have acting arrangements that will be in place upon Ngaire's departure. Obviously, this is always a balance between making sure that through that process they are getting somebody quickly, but also we want to make sure that we get somebody of the highest possible calibre for what's a quite significant role in our healthcare system and one of our most important regional roles that we have in terms of providing those services in the Limestone Coast.

I am happy to discuss offline with the member as well a more detailed update in relation to that process the board is undertaking, but the latest update I had was that not only are they going through that appointment and selection process, undertaking the national search as you would expect them to do, but also they have acting arrangements that will be in place for between when Ngaire departs and the appointment of a new chief executive.