HOSPITAL STATISTICS

Mr KENYON (Newland) (15:18): My question is to the Minister for Health. What does the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's hospitals statistics report show about the South Australian health system?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (15:18): I thank the member for Newland for his question. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's hospitals statistics report, which was released last Friday, confirms that South Australia has a very good health system. The report shows, amongst many things, that we have more public hospital beds per capita than any other jurisdiction in Australia and that 90 per cent of all patients on elective surgery lists in South Australia are operated on within 206 days and, in that regard, we are second only to Queensland. This means that we have the second greatest number who are dealt with in the shortest amount of time. The median waiting time in our emergency departments is 26 minutes, which is amongst the lowest waiting times in the nation.

On the whole, the report shows that the South Australian health system is in good shape. Nonetheless, there is always more that can be done. We are continually working to increase the capacity within our system and the rapidity of our reform. The new commonwealth government's elective surgery waiting list reduction plan has provided this state with an additional $13.6 million to undertake 2,262 extra elective surgical procedures this year. This money, in conjunction with the $55 million commitment over four years that was made in the last state budget, means that we are on track to clear completely the long-term waiting lists by the end of this year.

As at September 2007, 1,793 overdue patients were on waiting lists. As at 30 April this year, I can announce that only 269 of these patients remained waiting. This year we are on track to perform 39,700 elective surgeries in all categories, which is 5.9 per cent more than the 2006-07 figures contained in the report and 11.6 per cent more than the 2001-02 figures. According to the 2006-07 figures, 50 per cent of patients received a hip replacement within 111 days (which is the third quickest in the country) and 50 per cent of patients received a total knee replacement within 171 days (which is the fourth quickest in the country).

Since last year, however, we have worked with the orthopaedic network of clinicians, as well as other categories of elective surgery, to develop strategies to address the waiting list and to aim to address the long waits by the end of this calendar year. On estimated data for the 2007-08 financial year, the total number of knee replacements performed has increased by 33.3 per cent since 2001-02—so over the six years we have been in government we have increased the number of knee replacements by one-third—and hip replacements have increased by 31 per cent (a similar figure).

The government has also committed significant resources to update the physical infrastructure of our public hospital system, which will assist both elective and emergency care. The Flinders Medical Centre, for example, is undergoing a $153 million redevelopment, which will include an expanded emergency department and new operating theatres. The Lyell McEwin Hospital is undergoing a $336 million transformation, which is doubling the number of beds and modernising the hospital. The major piece of infrastructure in our program of modernisation is our commitment to building the most advanced hospital in Australia—the $1.7 billion Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Hospital—which will provide more beds and more patient services.

Stage 2 funds from the commonwealth government's elective surgery waiting list reduction plan will be used to commence development of Modbury Hospital and the Repatriation General Hospital elective surgery sites in accordance with South Australia's Health Care Plan. Also, we have proposed fitting out a decommissioned theatre at Flinders Medical Centre to provide additional theatre capacity to meet growing demand in ear, nose and throat, plastic and general surgery. In addition, we will be purchasing new equipment across a range of specialties. Across the system as a whole we have attracted an extra 699 doctors and 2,406 nurses over the five years between 2002 and 2007. Keeping our health system performing strongly requires continued extra funding and a strong reform agenda so we can use the funds we have to the best of our ability.