Adaptive risk management for regional hospitals

In an article first published in the Institute of Healthcare Engineering, Australia magazine, Healthcare Facilities, Adam Garnys, Principal consultant, and his colleague, Josiah Padget, Lead consultant, both of technical risk consultancy, CETEC, argue that ‘a growing wave of post-pandemic migration to regional Australia will burden remote hospitals, increasing stress on facilities, and intensifying risk’. However, they ask, what if we are able to better manage the burden and increased risk?

While COVID-19 has, thankfully, not been as devastating as predicted in Australia, this last year has seen life disrupted across the whole country. Coronavirus has shown us the future of flexible working, an increasing disparity in income to city property costs, and made our connection to nature and rural Australia ever more attractive 

A recent forecast, backed by the Regional Australia Institute, expects the aftershocks of COVID-19 to impact regional population trends, with a growing number of millennials looking to regional areas over capital city living. However, it’s not just individuals driving this migration. Ten major businesses, including Telstra, and two well-known banks, have committed to long-term flexible working arrangements. Signing up to the Regional Council 2031, these companies are actively encouraging staff to live and work in regional areas.