SA AMBULANCE Service chief executive Robert Morton has resigned after just 18 months in the job.
His sudden resignation comes just before the imminent release of the Transforming Health overhaul of the health system, which will see a major shake-up in hospital emergency departments directly affecting the ambulance service.
Mr Morton was headhunted from Ireland where he spent two decades as a paramedic and three years as director of the National Ambulance Service.
He took up the new role on July 29, 2013.
At the time he said he believed his experience leading change in the emergency services during the recession was a key reason he was approached for the role.
He said using “what we have in a smart way”, including treating more people at home and providing alternatives to taking everyone to hospital emergency departments was one way to end hospital ramping, where ambulances queue with non-urgent patients because EDs are full.
On taking up the job he also expressed full confidence that the Health Minister and SA Health would listen to all stakeholders in efforts to reform the health system as far as the ambulance service was concerned.
Mr Morton and partner Eithne Leonard told an Irish newspaper six months after arriving in South Australia that he enjoyed Adelaide’s weather but confessed to some homesickness.
“I certainly miss going to Kerry for a weekend,” he told the Irish Echo.
“There’s nothing like going down to Portmagee in Kerry down beyond Cahersiveen and going into The Bridge Bar on a Saturday night and watching the set dancing. I’m not going to get that here.”
Mr Morton also told the Echo he thought he was recruited for the SA job due to his style of leadership, track record of change management and the experience of coming from a difficult economic climate.
“I’ve got a lot of experience in terms of delivering change in the health service against a background of austerity, which is obviously something Australians are not used to or certainly haven’t been used to up to now,” he said.
“It’s fair to say in terms of the economy there are a number of challenges … and that’s going to mean we have to get better and smarter at how we manage our resources.”
Mr Morton was involved in implementing changes in Ireland in the wake of the failed transportation of teenager Meadhbh McGivern for liver transplant surgery in 2011.
Emergency Services Minister Tony Piccolo made it clear Mr Morton had not quit to take up the new role of Emergency Services Commissioner .
“You have to ask him whether he’s applied,” Mr Piccolo said.
“We’re advertising this and I’ve set up a panel. The panel will look at applications and make a recommendation to me. Should he apply, he’ll be considered.”
The Advertiser is seeking an interview with Mr Morton.