SMHS and SingHealth collaboration to improve nursing and midwifery
A new partnership between South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) and Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) is set to better support the future of nursing and midwifery both in Australia and overseas.
Joining forces to develop a memorandum of understanding, the agreement – which came into effect in March 2023 – signifies our joint commitment to exploring opportunities for collaboration in nursing education, training and research.
Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group (FSFHG) Nursing Director of Research, Professor Gavin Leslie, spearheaded this partnership and explained that our geographical and economic similarities mean there is ample opportunity to share approaches and improve both health services.
“SingHealth is recognised as one of the top ten health services in the world and like SMHS, they are a multi-site health service with a focus on innovation,” Gavin said.
“We both also have fledgling nursing and midwifery research services and collaborating to grow this area is a priority for both SMHS and SingHealth.
“This will be a highly beneficial agreement for us both – for example, our maternity services offer a very different approach to service delivery compared to SingHealth, which is of significant interest to their KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
“Furthermore, SingHealth is also pioneering the use of virtual reality to train nursing and other staff in specialist areas, which we are very keen to learn from.”
SMHS Chief Executive, Paul Forden, said this is another excellent example the value of collaboration with other health jurisdictions around the globe.
“The best health care happens when we share knowledge and technology across borders,” Paul said.
“I look forward to seeing this relationship grow to help both SMHS and SingHealth deliver excellent health care, every time.”
As part of our strategic focus to explore and develop twinning opportunities, Ms Wong Sook Thow from SingHealth recently visited SMHS, taking the opportunity to see the innovations underway by attending the FSFHG IMPROVE conference and meeting with staff and areas.
