Dear colleagues,
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Luke Sloane as Deputy Secretary, Regional Health.
As many of you will know, Luke has held the role of Coordinator General, Regional Health Division since April 2022. During this time, he and his team have been actively connecting with healthcare staff across NSW and advocating for regional, rural and remote communities.
The creation of a Deputy Secretary for Regional Health - a commitment of the NSW Government – will see the role continue to work closely with the Secretary, Ministry of Health, regional Local Health Districts, and stakeholders to progress initiatives already under way to improve health outcomes in regional NSW. The Deputy Secretary’s key focus areas include community engagement, regional workforce, contribution to primary care reform and access to transport and accommodation.
The Regional Health Division was established in April 2022 to support our commitment to improving health outcomes and access to health services for people living in regional, rural and remote NSW. The Division aims to strengthen and promote regionally-based, patient-centred approaches to the delivery of health services in regional NSW.
Already, the Division has accomplished significant milestones. It has successfully released the Regional Health Strategic Plan 2022-2032 while also managing the response to the recommendations of the NSW Rural Health Inquiry. The Division remains actively engaged with stakeholders to address the key priorities outlined in the Plan and are consistently identifying other opportunities that arise to enhance local access to health and other social services.
I know you will join us in congratulating Luke on his appointment to the role as we together continue to prioritise rural and regional health in NSW.
