RAMSAY AUSTRALIA
CEO MESSAGE
I am very pleased that the
Board of the Royal Women’s
Hospital has selected Ramsay
Health Care to continue leasing
and providing fantastic care
for patients at Frances Perry
House. The current lease,
which was scheduled to expire
on 31 January 2018, has been
extended for an additional 20
years. This is a great outcome
for Ramsay. After a long and successful tenure, we were
obviously very keen to remain the operators of Frances
Perry House and worked tremendously hard to submit
a competitive bid. We are very grateful to the Royal
Women’s Board for allowing Ramsay to continue as
the operator of this great hospital. We look forward to
continuing our strong working relationship with the Royal
Women’s Hospital as well as identifying new areas of
collaboration, particularly around teaching and research.
I am fully aware that this tendering process has been
unsettling for our staff and doctors working at Frances
Perry House and I want to thank you all for your strong
support throughout this difficult time.
In this edition of The Ramsay Way, we celebrate a
milestone for our Sunshine Coast University Private
Hospital in undertaking the Coast’s first ever cardiac
surgery case. This is an enormous achievement just four
years after opening and is a credit to all involved. This
hospital, which has had a public contract to treat public
patients as well as private patients since inception, has
been under constant scrutiny and so its successes and
achievements are even more inspiring.
In the broader public arena, there are many things
happening with respect to the private health industry.
Overall, the Federal Health Minister’s private health
insurance reform package announced recently signals
government support for the private health system in
Australia and we think the reforms will lead to an increase
in health fund membership. We particularly look forward
to improved transparency in health fund policies so
that consumers understand what they are purchasing
and what they are covered for. We will maintain a close
watch on elements of the reform package to be rolled
out over the coming year, including the new gold/silver/
bronze/’basic’ bronze categories and the formation of the
expert committees to look at improved models of care
regarding mental health and rehabilitation.
The Minister’s view on the issue of public hospitals
coercing and unduly influencing privately insured
patients, which increases private health insurance
premiums, is welcomed. The number of private patients
in public hospitals has increased 10% each year for the
past decade and now AIHW data clearly shows that
private patients are receiving quicker access to treatment
in public hospitals than public patients. This is creating
a two-tiered Medicare system which is contrary to the
foundation of the Medicare system that all patients
will be treated based on clinical needs, not financial
outcomes. Via our industry association – the APHA – I
will continue to advocate for the government to address
this issue as a matter of urgency and to ensure Australia
maintains a strongly balanced private/public hospital
system.
Finally, I want to take this moment to sincerely thank all
our staff and doctors for your dedication, commitment
and hard work during 2017. My CEO tour this past year
was most rewarding and showcased yet again the
great, talented people we have in our hospitals. I saw
firsthand that The Ramsay Way is alive and well in all of
our hospitals. Thank you for maintaining our very special
culture – it continues to be the key to our success.
Danny Sims
CEO, Ramsay Australia
2 The Ramsay Way 2018 01
2017 WRAP UP FROM
THE GROUP CEO
2017 was another great year for Ramsay Health Care. Across the globe,
we cared for over 3 million patients in our facilities, performed 1.7 million
operations and delivered almost 60,000 babies. This year, we passed
our 20 year milestone as a public company. When Ramsay floated on the
Australian Stock Exchange in 1997, we had 11 hospitals in Australia and
2000 staff. Today we have over 230 facilities across the globe and employ
60,000 staff. It has been a great journey. Thanks to the foresight of our
founder Paul Ramsay, we have helped to build a great Australian company,
and one that we can be proud of.
This year, we have expanded our pharmacy strategy and the Ramsay
Pharmacy retail franchise now consists of 52 pharmacies across the
country. We welcome these newest staff members to Ramsay Health
Care.
Importantly, through the year, I am very pleased that we continued to
enhance the quality of our services, launching several new initiatives
like the Speaking Up for Safety Vanderbilt Program, The Ramsay Rule
– a family escalation of care program – and the establishment of 10
new clinical trials sites across our company which improves access for
patients to the latest cancer treatments.
On behalf of the Board and management of Ramsay Health Care, I would
like to thank all our staff and doctors for your dedication and commitment
to our Company, and the patients you care for, throughout the year.
Thank you particularly to those staff who continued to work and care for
our patients over the Christmas holiday season.
I hope you had a safe and happy Christmas and wishing everyone a
great start to 2018.
Craig McNally
CEO, Ramsay Health Care
| 01
Ramsay Health Care renews contract
to operate Frances Perry House
The Royal Women’s Hospital and Ramsay Health
Care have signed a new agreement that will see
Ramsay continue to operate Frances Perry House, at
its current Parkville location for another 20 years and
following the expiry of the lease in January 2018.
Ramsay was selected to run Frances Perry House after a
competitive tender process. Ramsay has been operating
the hospital, one of Melbourne’s premier gynaecology and
maternity facilities, since 2005.
Hospital CEO Wesley Carter said after a long and successful
tenure, Ramsay was very pleased to remain the operator of
Frances Perry House.
“We have an outstanding team of doctors, midwives, nurses
and support staff who have contributed to the success of this
hospital. We look forward to continuing to work alongside the
Royal Women’s in delivering excellent care and high quality
outcomes for patients,” Mr Carter said.
Ramsay CEO Danny Sims said it was a great outcome.
“Throughout our tenure, Ramsay has operated a successful
hospital with a demonstrated commitment to the delivery of
excellent care and high quality outcomes for our patients.
Frances Perry House is the premier private maternity and
women’s health hospital in Melbourne and largely this is due
to our staff and doctors.”
The Women's CEO Dr Sue Matthews said women would
continue to have the choice between a public or private
service within the same building.
"Together we deliver around 10,000 babies a year. Having
Frances Perry House collocated with the Women’s means
patients have access to the highest standards of healthcare,
and medical staff are able to easily work across both facilities.
"This means clinicians can spend more time with their
patients rather than travelling between the two services.
“We are thrilled to have secured this partnership with Ramsay.
As well as continuing to providing outstanding care for
women, we have built in new opportunities for additional
research and collaboration,” Dr Matthews said.