Northern Adelaide Local Health Network chief executive Jackie Hanson quits SA Health as ICAC set to release Oakden report

A SENIOR SA Health executive in charge of the condemned Oakden aged care facility will quit the department, as the Independent Commission Against Corruption prepares to release its final report into alleged abuse at the nursing home.

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A SENIOR SA Health executive in charge of the Oakden aged care facility is quitting, just as the Independent Commission Against Corruption prepares to deliver its final report.

SA Health chief executive Vickie Kaminski wrote to staff late Friday to reveal that Northern Adelaide Local Health Network chief executive Jackie Hanson was leaving.

Her final working day will be April 18, after the state election and ICAC report release.

Ms Hanson, a Queenslander, will return home to take up a post as Queensland Metro North Hospital and Health Service chief operating officer after five years with SA Health.

Ms Kaminski said, in a memo released on request to TheAdvertiser.com.au: “This is an excellent opportunity for Jackie and will also see her return to Queensland to be closer to her granddaughters”.

“I’d like to thank Jackie for her significant contribution to our health system over recent years, and her wise counsel, and wish her well,” Ms Kaminski wrote.

“Jackie has successfully overseen several major service realignments and successfully delivered performance improvement strategies across the NALHN sites, all during a period of significant reform.”

Barbara Spriggs, Clive Spriggs, Rina Serpo and Alma Krecu, Stewart Johnston and Patrina Cole. Family members of deceased residents at the disgraced Oakden home. Picture: Kym Smith

Ms Hanson started with SA Health as Southern Adelaide Local Health Network chief operating officer in 2013 before becoming NALHN CEO in January 2015.

The ICAC will deliver its report into Oakden on or before February 28.

The state election is two and a half weeks later on March 17.

Ms Hanson commissioned the Oakden report from former chief psychiatrist Aaron Groves, which found long-running abuse and neglect at the site hidden by a culture of cover-up.

His report found that a family’s concerns about “very significant bruising to his hip for

which there was no satisfactory explanation” were raised with Ms Hanson in 2016.

“Following this meeting, the chief executive, NALHN (Ms Hanson) requested the Chief Psychiatrist undertake a review into Oakden,” Dr Groves wrote.

“From the outset it was clear that the CEO, NALHN wanted the review to be extensive and to look into all matters relevant to the clinical care of all consumers within the Oakden facility and not be restricted to any one individual.

“It was clear she wanted no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of the issues.”

Ms Hanson also signed off on a letter in 2015, in which former mental health minister Leesa Vlahos dismissed a family’s fears of “a high risk of severe injury or death” at the site.

The concern focused on fears that low staffing levels were leading to poor care.

Ms Hanson told a State Parliament committee last year that “the briefing was accurate”.

“We were compliant with the nursing enterprise agreement,” she said.

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