SA Health resignations: Interim Central Adelaide Local Health Network chief executive officer Len Richards quits

A SENIOR SA Health executive hired to head the new Royal Adelaide Hospital move has resigned today, sparking fresh concerns about the revolving door of internal management within the department.

• SA Health sacks central Adelaide health network boss Julia Squire
• New RAH may not open for months after SA Health takes over

A SENIOR SA Health executive hired to head the new Royal Adelaide Hospital move has resigned today, sparking fresh concerns about the revolving door of internal management within the department.

The Opposition has labelled the resignation as “gobsmacking”, while doctors say the departure reflects wider problems within SA Health.

A memo sent to SA Health staff by chief executive Vicki Kaminski on Tuesday has revealed interim Central Adelaide Local Health Network chief executive officer Len Richards has resigned after just 12 months working at the department.

“Len Richards has decided to return to the UK for family reasons and has accepted the role of CEO of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in Wales,” the memo reads.

Within his 12 months in South Australia, Mr Richards also filled in as SA Health deputy chief executive.

His departure announcement comes following a revolving door of senior executive resignations within SA Health in the past 12-to-18 months.

Former SA Health deputy chief executive Jenny Richter, who resigned from the position last year, has agreed to take on the interim CALHN head until a permanent replacement is recruited.

“I’d like to thank Len for his contribution over the past 12 months,” Ms Kaminski said.

“Jenny’s leadership skills and expertise will be invaluable as we prepare to move to the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. In addition to her knowledge and experience from working at SA Health for many years, Jenny has recently played a key role in the preparation and planning for the transition to the new hospital.

“From today, Jenny will work closely with Len to ensure there is a smooth transition when she starts in the role on May 1.

“Len’s last day at SA Health will be June 16.”

SA Salaried Medical Officers Association president Dr David Pope said the latest news was “a bit of a concern that senior leaders are leaving central Adelaide at a time when they need to be planning for the move to the new Royal Adelaide Hospital”.

“Julia’s got a lot of experience and knowledge of SA Health (and) she at least some corporate knowledge which has been sadly lacking and limited in recent times,” he said.

Dr Pope said the recent resignation “reflects the problems that exist in the higher levels of central Adelaide’s management”.

“The problems around the move to the new Royal Adelaide Hospital are enormous — as senior management people come to that realisation they resign and move away,” he said.

Dr Pope said major issues about the new RAH opening include bed numbers needed to meet patient demand, the functionality of Enterprise Patient Administration System (EPAS) and the size of the new hospital’s outpatient areas.

Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade said the latest departure was “gobsmacking”.

“We are almost half way through the 90 day testing period, CEO Kaminski has just came back from leave, Minister Snelling has just gone on leave, now we’re losing another CEO, and we don’t even have an opening date for the new hospital,” he said.

Mr Wade said he wasn’t surprised the State Government had no firm opening date for the nRAH when “the revolving door of leadership is gathering speed”.

Departure lounge

Senior SA Health staff who have left since the Transforming Health overhaul was announced include:

David Swan — SA Health chief executive, quit last year to take a job in the private sector.

Jenny Richter — deputy chief executive, resigned last year, replaced by Vickie Kaminski, who went on to replace David Swan as chief executive;

Judith Carr — resigned as project director of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital project last year

Andrew Neilsen — resigned as RAH program director

Dr David Panter — resigned as CALHN chief executive in 2015 to work in the private sector, was a pivotal figure in the new RAH project.

Robert Morton — quit suddenly in 2015 after 18 months as SA Ambulance Service chief executive after being headhunted from Ireland

Steve Moro — resigned as Director of Procurement for the new RAH.

Ken Barr — sacked as SA Pathology boss in 2016 over the prostate cancer test misdiagnosis scandal, has since claimed he was a scapegoat.

Professor Peter Bardy — resigned as RAH head of cancer in 2016 amid chemotherapy bungle scandal.

Dr Dewald Behrens — resigned as clinical director of Modbury Hospital’s ED in 2016 in frustration over Transforming Health reforms to downgrade the hospital but continued to work at Modbury as a clinician.