2 The Ramsay Way 2017 | 03
25th anniversary
celebrations
The event also celebrated the hospital's 25th
anniversary year, with Sir Rod unveiling a
commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
Mr Andy Haysman, Regional Director of Ramsay Health Care
UK East Region, said: "The team at Rivers Hospital has always
offered patients a high level of customer care, which has
been recognised by thousands of patients who have been
successfully treated over the past 25 years.
The new facilities will help
us provide the best possible
environment for patients and
consultants into the future.
Rivers Hospital is owned by Ramsay Healthcare UK, an
independent provider.
RAMSAY AUSTRALIA
CEO MESSAGE
I was very pleased to launch the MyRamsay app in
September and to see the very strong support and
uptake by staff across the organisation. In the first few
weeks of launching, the app ranked in the top 20 most
popular medical apps on the Apple Apps Store. There
are now over 2700 staff across the Company who have
downloaded the app representing approximately 7% of
our workforce in just the first month.
The MyRamsay app has been designed to assist local
hospital management to communicate quickly and
effectively with staff. It will feature job opportunities,
training opportunities and corporate promotions and
benefits for our employees. It follows the success of the
MyPatient app, which is available to all VMOs working
in Ramsay facilities, providing them with relevant
information about their patients.
If you haven’t already downloaded the app, I
encourage you to do so and be part of this exciting
new communication and engagement tool within
Ramsay Health Care.
In recent months, we have also launched Ramsay
Health Plus. Like Ramsay Pharmacy, Ramsay Health
Plus is taking our services beyond the hospital walls and
extending them into the community.
Across Ramsay we have a 2500 strong allied health
workforce that we can extend out into communities
surrounding our hospitals. Through the development
of this service we can ensure a better more integrated
service for patients being discharged from our facilities
and also extend our reach to new markets and new
models of care. I look forward to the development of this
service over the next 12 months.
In the last few weeks the Federal Health Minister
announced a number of important reforms to private
health insurance (PHI) which are important signals of the
government’s support of the private health system. As a
result of these announcements, we expect to see some
recovery in PHI participation rates and improved access
to treatment for people with mental illness.
Simplification of private health products for consumers
is long overdue and we hope this change, to be
implemented in 2019, makes a big difference in terms of
understanding what people with private health insurance
are covered for.
Waiving the waiting time for people with mental illness
to upgrade their cover is also very important and will
greatly assist with access for people needing our
services. We commend the Minister for the effort he has
taken to get these important reforms through and look
forward to lower premiums rises by the health funds
next year.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to farewell
some well-known and well-loved managers from Ramsay
Australia. Greg Brown, formerly CEO of North Shore,
Hunters Hill and Castlecrag, before becoming Regional
Operations Executive for our Sydney Metropolitan
Region, has been appointed to CEO of our Asian
operations. While not leaving Ramsay, he does leave the
Australian operations and we wish him every success
in his new role. HR Manager Keith Richardson will also
be leaving Ramsay. After 11 years with the company,
Keith has decided to finish full time work. He has been
a tremendous HR leader and a great support to the
Company for many years. We wish Keith all the best in
his future endeavours.
Danny Sims
CEO, Ramsay Australia
2017 | 03
Local celebrity Sir Rod Stewart officially opened
the brand new development at Ramsay UK's
Rivers Hospital on Thursday (26 October).
Work for the £5.1 million development began in July 2016,
and was completed in just over 12 months.
It includes a new state of-the-art, digitally-integrated
operating theatre, a new ambulatory ward for day case
patients complete with new minor operations suite and
recovery department, and extended on-site parking.
The new extension brings the total capacity at Rivers Hospital
— Sawbridgeworth's largest employer — to five operating
theatres, two minor operation rooms and an endoscopy suite.
Sir Rod's wife Lady Penny Lancaster, whose mother worked
at the hospital for several years, also joined him at the event,
which was officiated by the Mayor of Sawbridgeworth,
Councillor Ruth Buckmaster.