HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS

Ms FOX (Bright) (15:03): My question is to the Minister for Health.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms FOX: What is the government doing to help reduce demand on emergency departments?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (15:04): I thank the member for Bright for this important question and I acknowledge her great interest in the health area. Can I say in passing that, regarding the question asked by the member for Bragg about who told me what and when, I am advised by my office that the head of the department told me first, and I then had a subsequent conversation with my chief of staff.

In relation to the question asked by the member for Bright, the government's long-term strategy for dealing with the increased pressure on our health system is based on both increasing supply and reducing (or at least controlling) demand for health care services in our state. We are increasing supply by rebuilding our hospital system and employing record numbers of medical staff.

A key component of our plans to manage demand is keeping people out of our busy emergency departments unless they absolutely need to be there. This is especially the case over winter as our hospitals routinely see a spike in demand as people present with seasonal illnesses, including coughs and colds.

The instances and general awareness of swine flu is leading to an especially high demand this winter. I mentioned to the house yesterday that there was a 9.1 per cent increase in attendances at metropolitan emergency departments this June compared to the same time last year.

Last week I launched an advertising campaign encouraging South Australians to use emergency departments for emergencies this winter. Capacity within EDs must be maintained for traumas and medical emergencies. The campaign encourages South Australians to see their GP or call healthdirect Australia rather than attend EDs with minor ailments.

The fact is that a large number of South Australians (particularly younger South Australians) do not have their own doctor and, when something happens—when they get a bad cold or a flu—they do not know where to go, so they go to the hospital. What we would like to encourage them to do is develop a relationship with a GP and have somewhere that they can go.

The joint state and commonwealth funded healthdirect call centre provides South Australians access to high-quality health advice and information 24 hours a day, every day of the year. For the benefit of members, the number to call healthdirect Australia is 1800 022 222.

Today, I can announce that, in this financial year to the end of June, healthdirect received over 110,000 phone calls in South Australia. That is an average of about 300 calls every day. Callers are able to speak to an experienced registered nurse to discuss their illness or condition and receive advice. This is providing great comfort and reassurance to many South Australians, particularly those in remote areas. In fact, 23 per cent of callers were from rural areas.

Currently, about 84 per cent of calls are answered within 20 seconds, which is above the agreed service standard of 80 per cent. The average call lasts 10 to 11 minutes and allows people to determine whether they should go straight to a hospital or to a GP, whether their illness or condition should be treated or could be treated by a GP the following day or, indeed, if they can manage it themselves.

When it is assessed that action is needed to be taken by the caller, the main advice given is broken down in the following ways: 25 per cent are advised on how to look after themselves at home; 19 per cent are advised to see a GP within 24 hours; 17 per cent are advised to see a GP within four hours; 12 per cent are advised to attend an emergency department; and about 3 per cent only are told to seek an ambulance. In fact, I think healthdirect makes that arrangement for them.

By providing free and easily accessible information, we also hope to make it easier for people who typically do not manage their own health well to access health advice which can lead to the early detection and treatment of medical problems. The government's broad range of policies aimed at reducing demand upon our emergency departments, and articulated in South Australia's Health Care Plan, are starting to have some effect.

Between 2003-04 and 2006-07, our major metropolitan hospitals experienced a 14.7 per cent increase in demand for emergency department services. This equates to an average yearly increase of 4.9 per cent. The increase in 2007-08 has slowed to 2.6 per cent, which is a remarkable achievement.

In the financial year to May 2009, emergency department presentations have actually decreased by 2.9 per cent across all emergency categories, which is consistent with the strong investment that the government has made in primary health care and out-of-hospital strategies.

Most significantly, the largest drop in attendance this year to date was a 4.8 per cent drop in category 4 and category 5 presentations. So, demand on emergency departments will fluctuate, obviously, on a year-to-year basis—and this year will be a busy year because of the swine flu—but we have managed to establish a downward trend in demand on emergency departments. This is a tremendous achievement, and the hardworking doctors in our emergency departments are to be congratulated, as are the departmental officials who have developed these strategies. I congratulate all of those people on this terrific outcome.