Health Minister Jack Snelling says Chris Zeitz ‘strongly supports’ Transforming Health despite his criticisms of reform plan
KEY SA Health figure Chris Zeitz “strongly supports” the controversial Transforming Health reforms despite scathing criticism of the plan, Health Minister Jack Snelling says.
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KEY SA Health figure Associate Professor Chris Zeitz “strongly supports” the controversial Transforming Health reforms despite his scathing criticism of the plan, Health Minister Jack Snelling says.
It comes a day after The Advertiser revealed Associate Professor Zeitz described TH as “hijacked by Treasury” and “a house of straw”, in a briefing document to senior health bureaucrats.
Mr Snelling denied Associate Professor Zeitz had serious doubts about the plan or that clinicians had been shut-out of conversations about the TH implementation.
“He’s had a conversation with me in which he strongly asserted his support for Transforming Health,” Mr Snelling said.
“(Clinicians) have been absolutely at the centre of it. Obviously Professor Zeitz has got some concerns about some aspects of the implementation and about consultation and we’ll make sure we work very closely with him and the other clinicians at the Royal Adelaide Hospital to address those concerns.”
In his email, Associate Professor Zeitz called for a “full and frank” discussion about the TH implementation that must “involve a broad range of clinicians and take heed of the issues raised whilst collaboratively seeking solutions that will deliver the outcomes required”.
RAH oncologist Professor Dorothy Keefe agreed there were some issues around TH’s implementation but said the “overriding content of Professor Zeitz’s email is about his support of health care reform”.
Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade said the professor’s letter highlighted the need to scrap TH.