House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Ministerial Statement Ministerial Statement Modbury Hospital Oncology Service MODBURY HOSPITAL ONCOLOGY SERVICE The Hon. J.D. HILL House of Assembly Kaurna Minister for Health Minister for the Southern Suburbs Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:05): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement. Leave granted. The Hon. J.D. HILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.D. HILL: Yesterday the Deputy Leader of the Opposition asked me some questions about oncology services at Modbury. I can now provide additional information to the information I provided yesterday. As members would be aware, in South Australia's Health Care Plan the government is committed to the provision of oncology services at Modbury Hospital. I can confirm that oncology services are still being provided at Modbury now, and it is our plan to continue the provision of services into the future. Modbury Hospital currently has a small oncology service provided by two medical oncologists, one who works 0.1 full-time equivalent (half a day a week), and the other who works 0.3 full-time equivalent (a day and a half a week), for a total of 0.4 full-time equivalents. The 0.1 medical oncologists is resigning in December, and the 0.3 medical oncologist will retire in the middle of next year. I want to take this opportunity to thank them and wish them the best in their new positions. SA Health has been embarking on a significant national and international recruitment drive to fill the medical oncologist positions. We have now hired an experienced chemotherapy nurse to undertake the role of clinical nurse on a contract until a permanent candidate is recruited. This will enable chemotherapy services to be provided at the hospital in a similar model to what has been working successfully at Lyell McEwin Hospital for some years. Under this model, patients will receive ongoing chemotherapy treatment at Modbury after an initial appointment at the RAH. While this model is in development, there will be some chemotherapy treatment delivered at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. SA Health is committed to providing a safe, high-quality service for all cancer patients across the state.