Dear Students,
You may be aware that the State Government has this week released details of its Transforming Health strategy for restructuring healthcare services across metropolitan Adelaide.
The strategy has implications for all three of Adelaide’s public universities. In the case of Flinders University, key impacts relate to the location of clinical teaching and placements at the Repatriation General Hospital (RGH), Flinders Medical Centre and Noarlunga Health Services.
The details of the Transforming Health strategy can be found at transforminghealth.sa.gov.au/.
None of the proposed changes will take place until at least late 2016 and there will be no impact on the course requirements of your degree, including clinical placements, training and education.
The State Government acknowledges that Flinders University is a key contributor to training the State’s health professional work force, and the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences is committed to continuing its world-leading integrated clinical, research and teaching model. As a result of work by the University and other partners, the importance of teaching and research is now firmly embedded in the Transforming Health strategy.
To this end, we will work with the State Government to ensure Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre are appropriately resourced to provide extra capacity; deliver superior health services; and ensure the continuity of our successful integrated clinical, research and teaching model. In turn, the State Government has committed to further consultation on the implementation of all changes and undertaken that no significant changes will take place until capacity has been created in the system.
Flinders University broadly agrees with the need to transform the health sector in South Australia and has indicated its willingness to be a partner in the process of planning and implementing improvements, while at the same time ensuring the best outcome for healthcare and health and medical research for South Australia, for Flinders University and for the communities we serve.
If you have any questions, please contact your topic or course coordinator in the first instance.
Professor Colin Stirling
Vice-Chancellor
Flinders University