Health Minister Jack Snelling told reporters this afternoon Swan -the longest serving CEO in the department’s history –  would leave his role to head up Australia’s largest Catholic hospitals network, St Vincent’s Private Hospitals.

“I’d just like to congratulate David on what is a prestigious new role … it says a lot about the enormous esteem [in which] David is held around the country,” Snelling said.

Swan sent a message to all SA Health staff this afternoon, saying many of the major health reform projects in which he had been involved were now “reaching maturity”.

“Transforming Health reforms are being implemented and are improving patient care across metropolitan Adelaide – and the Enterprise Patient Administration System (EPAS) is shortly to be rolled out at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, making it the eighth EPAS site in the state.

“These reforms will benefit generations of South Australians, and I am honoured to have worked alongside so many highly skilled and dedicated colleagues to make these changes to our health care system.”

Both reforms have been the cause of sustained controversy during Swan’s tenure.