Citing a ‘go-live readiness assessment’ officials have decided to split the rollout, a move SDPRIA insiders say may put more pressure on staff.
The Single Digital Patient Record Implementation Authority has drastically changed the schedule for the upcoming Tranche B of the $2bn rollout of the Epic electronic medical record after continuing concerns over staff wellbeing and readiness of targeted local health districts.
Originally scheduled for November, Tranche B was aimed at four LHDs – Northern NSW, Mid North Coast, Northern Sydney, and Central Coast – and the rest of the Laboratory Information Management System North network.
An internal email – seen by HSD – from SDPRIA chief executive Dr Teresa Anderson was sent to staff yesterday.
In it, Dr Anderson said the Tranche B implementation would now be a “staged rollout”, beginning with just the Northern Beaches Hospital in November, despite concerns expressed to HSD by an insider that devices needed for the rollout to be successful – computers, scanners, hand-held devices – would not be delivered or installed by then.
Also at risk is the NBH’s non-Epic integration, according to the source.
An internal source at the SDPRIA said splitting the rollout was likely to put even more pressure on staff, saying the Health Services Union was pushing for a delay of all sites.
“A phased tranche roll-out puts more pressure on staff, with more go-live periods, more weeks of shift work – all because of poor planning,” said the source.
Dr Anderson told staff that planning for the phasing of the remainder of Tranche B was “underway and will be communicated soon”.
“This phasing of the implementation will ensure that delivery of Tranche B continues in a measured and sustainable way, allowing us to apply lessons learned, support ongoing stabilisation and optimisation activities, and strengthen readiness for future implementations.
“This decision has not been taken lightly and much has been taken into consideration, including a deep appreciation of the commitment, flexibility and professionalism you have shown throughout this process.”
Related
A recent psychosocial review of the workplace culture at the SDPRIA found 84% of participating workers at the Authority were categorised as “struggling or unwell”, with just 5% classified as “thriving”.
The review followed concerns raised by the HSU on behalf of its members, with the SDPRIA later requesting HealthShare NSW undertake the review.
The review also found 73% of respondents reported feeling emotionally exhausted for a large part of the time or all of the time, while 65% reported physical exhaustion. More than 233 workers participated in the assessment process.
Dr Anderson said the decision to cut back the November go-live schedule had been made after completion of the “Tranche B Go-Live Readiness Assessment process and with careful consideration of feedback and lessons learned from Tranche A”.
Dr Anderson will be on four weeks’ annual leave from tonight, leaving acting CEO and Justice Health chief executive Wendy Hoey to manage any fallout from the today’s news.
In a separate email – also seen by HSD – NSW deputy secretary for health system strategy and patient experience, Elizabeth Wood wrote to eHealth NSW staff notifying them of the delay.
“Importantly it also allows us to focus on ensuring the capacity and wellbeing of our teams to implement Tranche B and those to come after it,” said Ms Wood.
“The SDPR’s successful implementation relies on the commitment, support and collaboration of staff throughout the public health system.”
The choice of starting the Tranche B rollout with Northern Beaches Hospital is an interesting one.
The NBH is now fully owned and operated by the NSW government after its controversial public-private partnership with Healthscope formally ended on 29 April this year.
The government paid about $190 million for the transfer and moved the hospital into the portfolio of the Northern Sydney Local Health District.
The premature dissolution of the PPP followed years of concerns about the hospital’s model and performance, which intensified after the 2024 death of two-year-old Joe Massa following delays in its emergency department.
A 2025 NSW Auditor-General report subsequently found that the PPP was not effectively delivering the best possible health services and clinical outcomes, and identified unresolved safety and quality issues and poor integration with the wider public health system.
In July 2026, a NSW parliamentary inquiry delivered its final report into the troubled hospital, concluding that the hospital’s problems reflected structural flaws in the public-private partnership, rather than simply isolated failures, and made 11 recommendations aimed at rebuilding trust and improving its operation under public control.