The new boss of Canberra Health Services - who overseas Canberra Hospital - says her main priority for her time in the top job is tackling worsening patient wait times, pledging to consult staff on the ground.
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Bernadette McDonald - a former Victorian health bureaucrat - began her role as interim CEO of the organisation on October 1.
She was appointed to the role on a six-month contract after the government's first pick - Janet Anderson - suddenly pulled out of the role days after she was announced as the new CEO.
Canberra Health Services is a new organisation overseeing clinical health services in the ACT, formed when ACT Health was split into two organisations earlier this month.
Figures released in ACT Health's 2017-18 annual report show waiting times in Canberra's emergency departments got significantly worse last year, as did key elective surgery waiting list times.
Just 37 per cent of category three emergency department patients - who are classified as urgent - were seen on time last financial year.
It was worse for Canberra Hospital, with the figure 28 per cent when Calvary Public Hospital was removed.
The report put the blame on the worsening figures on a bad flu year and an increase in complex presentations.
Ms McDonald told The Canberra Times the organisation was in the early stages of developing a timely care strategy to help improve the worsening patient wait times.
She said she would focus on consulting with staff on the ground and giving them the ability to be innovative.
"What my experience is the people that deliver the care every day are the people who we need to talk to," Ms McDonald said.
"I think there's an opportunity for us to improve, there are probably a number of factors contributing to those figures."
When asked about an ongoing practice to send medical imaging reports offsite to be dealt with by private radiologists, especially during periods of staff leave, Ms McDonald said she had been briefed on the need for it and agreed with the strategy.
Ms McDonald would not be drawn about whether she was gunning for the job in a permanent capacity.
She began her role during a turbulent time for Canberra Hospital, with a review into the culture of Canberra's public health services announced just weeks before she started.
Ms McDonald said while there was good work being done to the culture of the organisation, work to change takes time.
"I think there are pockets in the organisation where the culture is not as positive as it could be," she said.
"There are fantastic and committed staff in the organisation and it's about us creating a positive culture going forward.
"It has been a very positive step to create Canberra Health Services and one identity."
Ms Mcdonald said there had already been good work done to improve the ways staff could report and disclose concerns they had within the organisation without fear of retribution.
She said staff needed to be able to talk if they had concerns.
Ms McDonald said she had a good relationship with Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris and had regularly been meeting with her.
"Minister Fitzharris has been very, very welcoming, we've had some great conversations about opportunities for the health service," she said.
