Ministry of Health Our Role

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Ministry of Health Our Role

• Sandy Dawson
• Chief Clinical Advisor

Usual disclaimers
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The view from a ministry
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Roles and illusions

• The centre of the health system?
• Captain, coach?
• Full back
• Innovators
• Leaders
• Examples

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Leadership the way forward
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I am from the Ministry, and I am here to help
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What should we do

• As much as possible?
• As little as we have to
• Sometimes not doing it, but making sure it is done

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Someone has to do this nationally

• Set structures and infrastructure in the health
  system
• Delegate control and accountability
• Specify the priority objectives
• Maintain the evidence-base
• A core quality improvement / performance
  framework
• Promote learning and collaboration

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How well are we doing so far?
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Highlights

• Good structures in our system
• Clear accountability and we can monitor results
• Good guidelines being updated
• Good information to support quality improvement
• Basic information systems available to all
• A real focus on reducing inequalities
• Lots of innovation in the sector
• We are good

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Acute Coronary Syndromes
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Amputations Good or not
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Renal Replacement
Good? It sure as hell impresses me
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No need to call Todd
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The challenges

• We are already good
• But not great...
• A better process to identify priorities
• And then co-ordinate implementing the things that
  should be nationally consistent
• Monitoring, but are we managing?
• Passive management, not active
• We are not learning fast enough
• Not asking enough questions
• It is people, it is people, it is people

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The end

• I've looked at life from both sides now
• From win and lose and still somehow
• It's life's illusions I recall
• I really don't know life at all
• Joni Mitchell
• Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very
  persistent one.
• Albert Einstein
• Computers are useless,
• they can only give you answers.
• Pablo Picasso