Enabling innovation
and change
Together, we build capability across NSW Health – supporting staff to lead innovation and transformation through education, training and locally-driven improvement projects.
Rapid redesign informs mental health reform
We worked with the Critical Intelligence Unit and established a new stream of work across networks to contribute to mental health service reform in NSW. This enabled teams to rapidly identify, assess and test current, promising and innovative models of care.
- A mixed methods approach was used to assess and prioritise models for implementation and scale across NSW.
- Following extensive stakeholder consultation, various sources of evidence were triangulated, and a rapid redesign approach was used to prototype three prioritised models of care.
- We are progressing work on the PATH in Community model of care, which reflects the model’s core principles of person-led, adaptive, trauma-informed and holistic care.
- The model is a contemporary, integrated approach to strengthen continuity and quality of care for people with significant mental health challenges. We are leading implementation in Kempsey community mental health services.
- Overall, this work has informed broader mental health reforms and future mental health models of care in NSW.
The models of care are designed to:
optimise the scope of practice of individual professions and multidisciplinary teams
standardise evidence-based elements of care
improve the experience and outcomes for people with lived experience of mental health issues in NSW.
1,000+ redesign champions driving local innovation
Our Centre for Healthcare Redesign celebrated 72 new graduates this year, who apply their year-long learning to address local challenges. They join a growing network of 1,000+ alumni from NSW Health who have completed the program since 2007.
- Delivered in partnership with the University of Tasmania, the course builds skills in project management, redesign and change leadership.
- The program has supported 450+ redesign projects driving innovation across NSW Health.
- Participants receive support from executive sponsors, redesign leaders, and project champions.
- Projects are published on the Innovation Exchange to facilitate shared learning across the state.
Watch Maddie Cherrington explain how the Innovation Exchange is supporting local innovation
Showcasing local innovation in practice
The Innovation Exchange continues to be a vibrant space where innovators come together to showcase solutions, learn from each other, and inspire change across the system. This year, we:
- published projects focused on improving access to surgery, reducing unnecessary waste, expanding Hospital in the Home (HiTH) services, reducing carbon emissions and championing culturally safe care
- published 44 local projects from around NSW, including 18 projects from the Centre for Healthcare Redesign and 5 projects from the 2024 Sustainable Futures Innovation Fund cohort
- launched a new themed collection focused on showcasing alternate models of care in Aboriginal health
- saw 46,496 page views across the Innovation Exchange.
The most visited project page on the Innovation Exchange (1300+ views since June) was Gloves Off! Clean hands, safe for all, which recently won the NSW Health Award for Environmental Sustainability.
Showcasing digital enablement and shared learning
We added 7 initiatives to our Spotlight series, highlighting how patient-reported measures and virtual care are being used in local health services.
They outline the benefits, requirements and lessons learnt; showcasing to other services how technology is enabling improvements in care and health outcomes.
