Annual Report 2024-25 - Department for Health and Wellbeing

To: Chris Picton MP, Minister for Health and Wellbeing

This annual report will be presented to Parliament to meet the statutory reporting requirements of the Public Sector Act 2009, the Public Sector Regulations 2010, the Public Finance and Audit Act 1987 and the requirements of Premier and Cabinet Circular PC013 Annual Reporting.

This report is verified to be accurate for the purposes of annual reporting to the Parliament of South Australia.

Submitted on behalf of the Department for Health and Wellbeing by:

Dr Robyn Lawrence
Chief Executive

From the Chief Executive

As I reflect on the 2024-25 year, I am once again reminded of the incredible ability of our staff to support, innovate and deliver healthcare across South Australia.

The Department employs a wide range of incredibly dedicated and skilled individuals, and I would like to place on record my thanks to the entire workforce.

Without their drive, resourcefulness and knowledge, the quality of services and support we provide to the State Government and the Local Health Networks (LHNs) would not be possible.

Strengthening our workforce

Our organisation's success is dependent on our people. This year, we focused on celebrating the Department's diversity when we launched our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy. During National Reconciliation Week in May and June 2025, we embraced the theme "Bridging Now to Next" as a reminder to step forward together and continue pushing forward as past lessons guide us. We built upon this momentum in July, celebrating NAIDOC Week.

Significant workforce initiatives included launching a new Aboriginal Mentoring Program available for all SA Health Aboriginal Workforce Network members, and launching the Young Professionals Group Strategic Directions, marking the beginning of their refreshed vision and priorities for 2025-2030.

We also navigated challenges, including the short-notice relocation of staff from the Australian Bragg Centre following extensive building damage. This was a significant logistical undertaking that demonstrated our workforce's adaptability and resilience.

Addressing system demand

The Department remains committed to addressing high levels of system demand across our public health system, to ensure South Australians receive the urgent care they need.

Key developments included opening the 24-bed transitional care service at the Pullman Adelaide for maintenance care, post-surgery recovery and care transition, overseen by the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network.

An additional 55 hospital beds opened at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre to support older South Australians awaiting aged care placements. These beds form part of a new 70-bed Care of the Older Person and Community Transition (CO-ACT) service, designed to assist elderly patients ready for hospital discharge but unable to access aged care due to limited national supply.

Our 2025 Winter Plan outlined comprehensive strategies being implemented across the system to ease pressure on our hospitals.

We also expanded our ambulance capacity with new stations, including the Mount Barker ambulance station which became fully operational on 13 January 2025.

Digital transformation

March 2025 marked a major milestone for our public health system with the final activation of SA Health's electronic patient medical record, Sunrise Electronic Medical Record and Patient Administration System (Sunrise EMR & PAS). Led by the EMR Project and Regional Reform Program (Digital Health SA), this ambitious initiative brought digital connectivity and infrastructure to 59 regional hospitals and healthcare facilities. With Sunrise EMR & PAS now implemented statewide, South Australia is the only jurisdiction in Australia with a single, integrated EMR, which is paving the way for future advancements in digital health, interoperability, and artificial intelligence.

Public health and climate change

To protect South Australian children and reduce hospitalisations, the Australian Government and SA Health funded new, free maternal and infant RSV immunisations in 2025. This was supported by a statewide marketing campaign, which has resulted in a promising early uptake of the new vaccines.

With growing evidence of health risks posed by climate change, we launched the SA Health Climate Change and Health Framework 2025-2030, outlining critical actions needed to safeguard public health and setting a foundation for essential climate action to protect all South Australians.

We are also supporting the response to the drought and algae bloom, including mental health and public safety initiatives.

Legislative advances

Legislative milestones included the operational launch of new donor conception laws on 26 February 2025, establishing the publicly accessible online Donor Conception Register, which is the first of its kind in Australia to operate online in real-time and one of only a few registers worldwide with retrospective effect.

Additionally, amendments were made to the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022.  This Act enhances public safety by making Automated External Defibrillators mandatory in specific buildings and facilities from 1 January 2025, with further mandatory locations from 1 January 2026.

Closing the Gap

The establishment of the South Australian Health and Wellbeing Partnership Committee marks a significant step in strengthening collaboration between SA Health, the South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network, and the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia. This committee has been formed in a genuine and formal partnership, serving as a mechanism to enable the principles of co-design and shared decision making, as outlined in Priority Reform One of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. In support of this work, a new governance and accountability framework has been established to align with the four priority reforms outlined in the National Agreement. This framework reinforces and strengthens partnerships with the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector in the delivery of health commitments under South Australia’s Implementation Plan for Closing the Gap 2024–2026.

Looking forward

We continue to work closely with our LHNs, including state-wide services aligned with those LHNs, SA Ambulance Service, the Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health, Preventive Health SA, the Commonwealth Government and private providers to ensure we deliver timely, high-quality, safe care to all South Australians.

As with all healthcare systems, there is always room for improvement, and we remain committed to identifying innovative solutions and pursuing continued improvements in the year ahead.

Once again, I thank all SA Health staff for their outstanding contribution to South Australia's public health system.

Dr Robyn Lawrence PSM
Chief Executive
Department for Health and Wellbeing