The agency's performance (DHW 2024-25 Annual Report)

Performance at a glance

*Data reported for the Consumer Experience: Overall Quality indicator for 2024/25 references consumer experience data for the Q3 24/25 reporting period ONLY. This is due to data validity concerns with data reported in the first two (2) reporting quarters of the 2024-25 financial year.  Changes in data collection process through this period (transitioned from SACESS to the South Australian Hospital Experience Survey digital format) caused the instability in the data source. The new digital delivery is being implemented across Local Health Networks (LHNs).

**Hospital standardised mortality ratio refers to the ratio of observed count of hospital separations that end in a patient’s death, to the count of separations expected to end in death based on the patient’s characteristics. For reporting, an LHN’s reported HSMR is identified as an inlier or an outlier. An inlier is within the confidence limit of the national population mean for HSMR within expected rate, an outlier is outside the confidence rate.

***Executive tenure refers to South Australian Executive Service (SAES) employees in the Department. Includes tenure of positions where executives were in other executive positions within the Department prior.

Since the publication of the previous annual report, some 2023-24 figures in Table 1 have been revised, following retrospective updates to coding and other data.

Agency objectives

Investment in SA Ambulance Service

Indicators

• Construction of new SA Ambulance Emergency Operations Centre and Ambulance Station, staffed with two 24/7 16-person crews.
• Ambulance Station expansions or upgrades – Aldinga, Elizabeth, Goolwa, Bordertown, Mount Gambier, Whyalla and Wallaroo.
• Ambulance Station rebuilds and expansions – Campbelltown, Gawler, Mount Barker and Victor Harbor.
• New Ambulance Stations – Edwardstown, Golden Grove, Norwood and Woodville.
• Additional new Ambulance Stations - Two Wells, Marion and Whyalla (formerly upgrades) – December 2026 delivery.
• Purchase an additional 36 ambulances.
• Recruitment of 350 paramedics and ambulance officers.

Performance

• Construction is ongoing and remains on track to achieve the Emergency Operations Centre Early Access in August and Practical Completion date of October 2025.
• Expansion/upgrade stations:
  • Aldinga and Elizabeth delivered.
  • Goolwa, Bordertown, Mount Gambier, Whyalla and Wallaroo stations progressing in tender and construction phases.
• Rebuild/expansion stations:
  • Mount Barker and Victor Harbor delivered.
  • Campbelltown and Gawler in construction phase.
• New stations:
  • Edwardstown, Golden Grove, Norwood and Woodville delivered.
  • Two Wells, Marion and Whyalla progressing to finalisation of design development stage in preparation for tender.
• 27 new ambulances operational.
• As at 30 June 2025, recruitment of 273/350 SAAS staff in total, comprising paramedics, ambulance officers, emergency support service officers, dispatchers and clinical leads.

Workforce Recruitment and Planning

Indicators

• Develop a long-term plan to address workforce shortages, including identifying our state’s needs, gaps and risks, and planning for the training requirements we will need for services in both the short and long term.
• The Government’s election commitments included:
  • 212 additional nurses recruited and commenced by 31 December 2025.
  • Women’s and Children’s Hospital: 12 speciality cancer and mental health nurses recruited.
  • 76 additional nurses recruited and commenced by 31 December 2025, including 21 specialty nurses committed to under various commitments/grant funding with NGOs.
  • Country Doctors: 2 specialist doctors quickly employed and brought online from July 2022, progressing to meeting the full quota of 10 doctors in 2025.
  • Women’s and Children’s Hospital: 17 senior specialists, 15 advanced resident doctors, 12 resident doctors and 4 clinical academics positions funded and filled, including 1 FTE trainee paediatric rheumatologist, to commence within 2 years.
  • 15 resident doctors quickly employed and brought online from July, progressing to meeting the full quota of 50 doctors in 2025.
  • 5 additional paediatric psychiatrists, and 10 additional child psychologists employed over the next 4 years. 
  • The development of a psychiatry workforce plan.

Performance

• SA Health Workforce Strategy is being developed and progressed to ensure a sustainable, well trained and competent workforce into the future.
• In relation to the Government’s, specific election commitments as at 30 June 2025:
  • 284.88FTE additional nurses, including 12 speciality cancer and mental health nurses at WCH and 22 nurses specialising in palliative care, lung, respiratory, arthritis, epilepsy and Parkinson’s.
  • 101.71FTE additional doctors:
    • 10.37FTE Country Doctors
    • Women’s and Children’s Hospital:
      • 16.34FTE Consultants
      • 15.5FTE Advanced Trainees
      • 10.5FTE Basic Trainees.
    • 38FTE resident doctors
    • 5FTE Psychiatrists
    • 6FTE Psychologists.
• Psychiatry Workforce Plan: South Australia is developed, with a specific focus on child and adolescent mental health services. 

Improve Demand Management and Patient Flow

• 50 Additional Beds at the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
• 48 permanent beds at Lyell McEwin Hospital.
• 20 homelessness discharge beds.
• 20 mental health community beds.
• 24 bed inpatient ward at Noarlunga Hospital. 

Performance

• The Master Plan and Concept Design includes the distribution of the 50 additional beds and 20 future expansion beds. The new hospital will have a provision for 414 overnight beds – 76 more than the current Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
• The appointment of the new Design Team for Stage 2 of the Project, design and construction of the main clinical building was completed in June 2025.
• 48 beds established and operational at Lyell McEwin Hospital.
• 20 bed discharge support service operating in partnership with the Salvation Army.
• 22 mental health community beds operational.
• 24 inpatient beds at Noarlunga Hospital are progressing to Practical Completion in September 2025.

Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Indicators

• Metropolitan Mental Health Beds:
  • 24 beds at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • 24 beds at Noarlunga Hospital
  • 24 beds at Modbury Hospital.
• Regional Mental Health Beds:
  • 6 beds at Mount Gambier Hospital.
• Regional Drug and Alcohol Beds:
  • 2 drug and alcohol detox beds at Mount Gambier Hospital.

Performance

• Metropolitan mental health beds are progressing to practical completion, expected:
  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital – August 2025
  • Noarlunga Hospital – September 2025
  • Modbury Hospital – February 2026.
• Regional mental health beds are progressing to Practical Completion in October 2025.
• Regional drug and alcohol beds are progressing to Practical Completion in October 2025.

Enhance role of Community Pharmacy

Indicators

• Three 24/7 pharmacies across Adelaide to enable the community to access medication and advice at any time of the day.
• Establish a fourth 24/7 pharmacy in the outer southern suburbs.
• Medication Review Program for people discharged from hospital developed and in use.

Performance

• In 2024, three pharmacies, located at Norwood, Salisbury Plain and Clovelly Park commenced their extended opening hours.
• The fourth 24/7 pharmacy established at Terry White Chemmart, Hallett Cove.
• Medication Review Program developed and in use. As at 30 June 2025, hospitals can refer patients to 134 community pharmacies across South Australia.

Improving cancer health outcomes in South Australia

Indicators

• Implement a new SA Cancer Plan.
• Establish a new Modbury Hospital Cancer Centre with 12 chemotherapy treatment spaces.
• New Mount Barker Hospital to include upgrades to chemotherapy equipment and consideration to increasing chemotherapy services to medium complexity.

Performance

• SA Cancer Plan 2025-2029 was released on 16 April 2025 and implementation has commenced.
• Construction on the new Modbury Hospital Cancer Centre continues to progress in line with key milestones with Practical Completion in February 2026.
• Construction is ongoing on the new Mount Barker Hospital with substructure works for the Clinical Services Building underway and progressing in line with key milestones.

Corporate performance summary

From new hospitals to inspiring stories of care and vital public health messages, the Corporate Communications branch has shown how SA Health is delivering better health to all South Australians.

In 2024-25 the Corporate Communications branch responded to 811 media enquiries; participated in more than 130 interviews; coordinated 46 press conferences; and drafted more than 260 media releases.

The branch also implemented nine paid marketing campaigns to promote SA Health public health messaging and other initiatives, including influenza vaccination program for young children, Palliative Care Connect, Donor Conception Register, RSV vaccination, emergency department alternatives, Building a Bigger Health System, promoting respectful behaviour towards healthcare workers, mental health and drought, and an international and interstate mental recruitment campaign.

The branch provided communications support to a range of other communications plans and campaigns, such as National Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC Week, Aboriginal Health Scholarship Program, School Immunisation Program, 24/7 pharmacies, Healthy in the Heat, SA Cancer Plan, Automated External Defibrillators, mosquito bite prevention, Transition to Professional Practice Program, and SA Health Urgent Care Hubs, just to name a few.

SA Health’s LinkedIn followers increased 8.8 per cent to 57,538, Instagram followers increased by 2.6 per cent to 50,772. Our Facebook performance remained consistently strong with an average daily reach of 59,986 – reaching a total of 21.9 million users for the year. In 2024-25, SA Health published 632 Facebook posts, 680 Instagram posts, 156 LinkedIn posts and 61 X posts.

The SA Health website was visited by 6.6 million active users who viewed 18.8 million pages during 10.6 million sessions.

There were notable increases in page views compared to last year for the Umm…ergency campaign: 103,964 views (+246 per cent), vaping information: 53,306 views (+531 per cent), mental health careers: 81,851 views (+6,640 per cent) and the international applicant guidelines: 75,143 (+43 per cent).

The branch processed more than 120 Freedom of Information applications submitted by Members of Parliament, members of the public and other various entities.

Employment opportunity programs

The Department’s Graduate Program

As part of the Department’s Graduate program, 19 graduates commenced within the Department in February 2025. This is a structured pipeline program to strengthen the Department’s workforce and provide graduates with varied experience to build their knowledge and skills, while providing professional development and support.

DHW Graduate Program

As part of the DHW Graduate program, twenty-one (21) graduates commenced within DHW in February 2024. This is a structured pipeline program to strengthen the DHW workforce and provide graduates with varied experience to build their knowledge and skills, while providing professional development and support.

Aboriginal Employment Pool

SA Health has established the Aboriginal Employment Pool that is actively used to recruit and retain Aboriginal employees. The Pool is a direct entry point for new employees and encourages existing employees to join for employment mobility opportunities.  During the year the Pool has achieved 45 placements with 215 available candidates.

Aboriginal Traineeship Program

The Department contracted Maxima to host a Traineeship program. Six Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander trainees are participating in the program.

Agency performance management and development systems

The Department’s Performance Review and Development (PRD) process

Two designated performance review cycles are established for managers to undertake a conversation with direct reports: the first cycle from August to November and the second cycle from March to June. In addition to this, two Manager training session were facilitated each round to upskill managers in performance discussions. As at 30 June 2025, 58 per cent of employees had registered a PRD conversation within the 2024-2025 financial year.

The Performance Review and Development Policy was reviewed and updated in March 2024 and is consistent with the Premier’s Direction on Performance Management and Development.

Work health, safety and return to work programs

SA Health Work Health Safety & Injury Management Strategic Plan 2025 - 2030

The SA Health Work Health Safety and Injury Management (WHSIM) Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was launched in April 2025 and highlights the objectives, strategic levers and milestones that will be prioritised to ensure the health and safety of SA Health workers.

The WHSIM Strategic Plan sets out a system-wide approach to improving workplace health, safety, and injury management by focusing on prevention, leadership accountability, innovation, and workforce capability. Through targeted programs, data-driven monitoring, and inclusive safety culture, the plan aims to reduce harm, support mental and physical wellbeing, and ensure consistent safety standards across all health services.

Nursing Security (Challenging Behaviours)

SA Health is committed to working with the ANMF (SA) to establish their 10-point plan to end violence in the workplace.  The Department’s Work Health and Safety continue to actively support the progression of activities to meet this commitment.

A review of the 2020 Preventing and Responding to Challenging Behaviour governing documents has been completed. The updated Policy, Framework and supporting documents have been co-designed by workers and consumers to align with the latest best practice, the 10-point plan objectives and the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, and underpin and guide the prevention, recognition, response and recovery of complex behaviour, including environmental design, messaging, post-incident support, and workforce training.

The Department’s Corporate Communications developed and launched a public communications campaign ‘Abuse shouldn’t be part of the job’ to encourage respectful behaviour towards health care workers.

SA Government also delivered on its election commitment to conduct an independent security review of Port Lincoln Hospital. The Eyre and Far North Local Health Network Board implemented 24/7 security service to protect the safety of staff and patients. The Port Lincoln Security Oversight Committee developed a Decision-Making Framework which could be used at any health service in regional South Australia to assess what response would be appropriate in terms of security, including use of security guards.

Respectful Behaviours and Wellbeing

To increase psychological safety and wellbeing, SA Health has implemented the Psychosocial Safety Policy to complement our Respectful Behaviour Policy, including the provision of online training and the development of initiatives to prevent inappropriate behaviour and improve psychosocial risk management practices. The policies promote a respectful and inclusive workplace culture, mandates supportive leadership, enables confidentiality and ensures information is available to assist staff to identify, report and manage unacceptable behaviour and at work. 

The Department provides mandatory training for employees and managers on respectful behaviour to promote awareness, support positive workplaces and how to address it. A Health Chief Executive’s Council Healthcare Workforce Wellbeing Sub-Committee has been established and progressing with consistent metrics to benchmark and track change in workforce wellbeing across SA Health.

Manual Tasks Risk Management

The Department provides state-wide manual task training to SA Health workers and coordinates the SA Health Manual Tasks Local Facilitator Training Program which underpins mandatory manual task practical training to reduce the risk of body-stressing injury. The program follows a local champion model, upskilling workers to provide manual tasks support and training for their colleagues.

As of 30 June 2025, there are 1,291 active SA Health Manual Tasks Local Facilitators across SA Health providing training, induction and support to their colleagues to reinforce safe work practices.186 new facilitators completed the two-day practical training, and 396 current facilitators attended refresher sessions during the 2024-25 financial year.

Seasonal Influenza Program

The 2025 staff influenza vaccination programs made vaccinations available to SA Health staff from April 2025.

As of 30 June 2025, 916 (approximately 44 per cent) Department employees have a record of receiving an influenza vaccination in 2025.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The EAP plays an important role in our ongoing commitment to being a mentally healthy workplace.  The EAP is available to all staff and their immediate family members to access free counselling services.

White Ribbon Workplace

The Department continues its commitment to workplace gender equality, respect and inclusion, free from discrimination and violence. The Department is proudly a White Ribbon accredited workplace and continually reviews and adapts culture, practices and procedures to promote and embed respectful relationships and safe workplaces for all.

The Department acknowledges the important role we can play in the prevention of violence against women in supporting all people, regardless of gender, who may be experiencing or escaping violence.

The department’s White Ribbon Operational Plan sets out the short and long term key actions to educate, build awareness, encourage supportive conversations, and implement policies in our workplace to contribute to the prevention of domestic and family violence.

Workplace injury claims

*Number of claimants assessed during the reporting period as having a whole person impairment meeting the relevant threshold under the Return to Work Act 2014 (Part 2 Division 5)

**The ‘significant injuries’ measure was calculated, as per the Safety, Wellbeing and Injury Management (SWIM) Strategy for the South Australian Public Sector (2023-2032), using OCPSE's 'Primary and Secondary Measures Specification' report created July 2024. This measure now reflects all significant injury claims with status accepted, rejected or undetermined (rather than only accepted significant injury claims). Note: the 2023-24 figure was recalculated using the revised methodology.

Work health and safety regulations

Return to work costs**

**before third-party recovery

Executive employment in the agency

• Chief Executive = 1 position
• SAES1 = 51 position
• SAES2 = 14 positions
• SAES-Specialist = 5 positions 

Data for previous years is available at: The agency's performance (DHW 2023-24 Annual Report) | SA Health. 

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment has a workforce information page that provides further information on the breakdown of executive gender, salary and tenure by agency.