Vickie Kaminski: Steven Marshall was clear he wanted a new top boss at SA Health

THE outgoing head of SA Health, Vickie Kaminski, has admitted healthcare costs in SA are too high and her department “really does need to look at how we can become more efficient”.

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THE outgoing head of the state’s health department, Vickie Kaminski, has admitted SA Health “really does need to look at how we can become more efficient”, without always using the “public purse”.

“If you look at our cost per head, we’re one of the most expensive systems in the country (and) there is a lot of work we could be doing,” she told ABC RadioAdelaide this morning.

“There’s no one big roadblock at all ... it’s a culture of doing things ... and getting people to change.”

SA Health chief executive officer Vickie Kaminski outside SA Health headquarters. Picture: Simon Cross

Her sentiments come after South Australians voted to rid the state of 16 years of Labor rule and one day after the Liberal Government announced Ms Kaminski will be replaced.

As a result, she will leave her high-paid job in November — if not before.

Ms Kaminski, who was hired to oversee the Labor Government’s controversial Transforming Health overhaul and will leave behind a $551,000-plus a year salary package, admits she was pushed from the top job.

“He (Marshall) was clear he wanted a new top boss at SA Health,” he said.

“The (new Liberal) Government, I think they understand the core issues (and) will look at taking a different approach to resolving problems within the health system, (for example) how we make use of all hospital sites to the best of their ability — they’re not interested in wasting money.

“In my case, I was here for a defined period of time to do a particular job.”

Since arriving in Adelaide in late 2016, Ms Kaminski, a Canadian, has seen a revolving door of senior SA Health executives across local health networks and departments.

“You lose a lot of momentum (but) hopefully whoever is coming in here for four years has a clear mandate,” she said.

Ms Kaminski said she believed “about 70 per cent” of the Labor’s Government’s health overhaul was actually implemented.

“The Queen Elizabeth Hospital for example, we changed direction before we actually implemented (changes),” she said.

SA Health chief executive officer Vicki Kaminski with former Labor minister Leesa Vlahos. Picture: Calum Robertson

Other problems, including teething issues within the Royal Adelaide Hospital such as lack of room in its resuscitation rooms, are still to be rectified.

“They’re (the resuscitation rooms) built to the standard in size that resuscitation rooms should be,” she said.

However, Ms Kaminski explained new equipment used in the rooms has resulted in “crowding”.

“We’ve looked at with them (doctors) about what could be done,” she said.

“There’s pretty economical ways to do it (such as) knocking a wall down between rest rooms, but you’ll lose rooms.”

The quality of patient food at the RAH, supplied by the hospital’s catering and cleaning service provider Spotless, has also been a huge issue.

“It’s getting better — we have had fewer complaints about our food,” she said.

Ms Kaminski said it had been “an absolute joy to be in South Australia”.

“Adelaide could be one of the nicest places you could live,” she said.