The family of murdered outback nurse Gayle Woodford say they were left feeling "angry" and "insulted" by SafeWork SA's finding that her death was not work-related.

Gayle Woodford had been a remote area nurse with Nganampa Health Council, based in the small APY Lands community of Fregon, for almost five years before she was killed.

She was on call on the night when she was lured out of her home and raped and murdered by Dudley Davey, who is now serving life with a non-parole period of 32 years.

Now her family has revealed SafeWorkSA, the body responsible for regulating workplace health and safety across the state, determined her death was not linked to the night-time on-call work she was tasked with.

In a letter to husband Keith Woodford, dated November 25, 2016, SafeWork SA said it had completed its investigation and sent its findings to the Coroner's office that, "the death of your wife was not work-related".



SafeWork SA is now reviewing the decision after questions from Australian Story.

Gayle Woodford's daughter, Alison Woodford, was perplexed by the decision.

"I was really angry. I felt insulted," she said.

Gayle Woodford was the on-call nurse at the time of her death, and her last consultation at the clinic was about 8:40pm on March 23, 2016.

She then returned home to continue her shift of after-hours care for the community.

Her husband said the last time he saw her she was reading in bed about 9:30pm before he fell asleep.

Sometime before 11:30pm, convicted sex offender Davey came to the door. He said he lured her out of her high-security home under the ruse that his grandmother needed Panadol.

Davey then stole the clinic ambulance with Gayle Woodford in it and drove to nearby scrubland where he raped and murdered her.

Dudley Davey abducted Gayle Woodford in her work ambulance. ( Supplied: SA Police )

Mr Woodford said a SafeWork SA representative told him they had reached their conclusion during a round-table discussion.

"They owe the family an apology," Mr Woodford said.

Alison Woodford said a SafeWork SA representative told her there was no CCTV footage to prove her mother was working when she was taken.

"He said they [Nganampa Health Council] have made changes to security up there since this incident," Alison Woodford said.

"So I said if it's not a workplace incident why have they made changes to their workplace? And he didn't have an answer to that."

SafeWork SA released its findings before the murder trial had finished. In her sentencing remarks, the Honourable Justice Vanstone accepted Gayle Woodford was the on-call nurse the night of her murder.

A number of Gayle Woodford's former colleagues have come forward to Australian Story to say they frequently raised safety concerns about being on call alone at clinical meetings in Umuwa.

Nganampa Health Council medical director Professor Paul Torzillo has rejected accusations nurses' safety concerns were dismissed.

Since Gayle Woodford's death, the health service has adopted a community escort system which stops patients going directly to nurses' houses after hours.

Following questions from Australian Story, SafeWork SA says the matter has been brought to the attention of a new director, who is "now reviewing" the decision.