COUNTRY HEALTH SERVICES

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Health. How is the government increasing the range of health services available locally for country residents?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (15:01): I am surprised that those opposite would not want to hear about the good news that is coming their way in their electorates. For the benefit of the house, I will go through this information. Expanding the range of services available in country hospitals has been an ongoing strategic goal of this government. In 2009-10, $630.4 million was allocated to public hospitals and health services right across country South Australia. This is $250 million (66 per cent) more than in 2001-02, the last year of the former Liberal government. An extra $250 million (a quarter of a billion dollars) is going into public health services and hospitals in country South Australia.

However, we also estimate that $232 million was being spent on country residents who received services in metropolitan hospitals. Where possible we would prefer to utilise the infrastructure that exists in the country and to spend the money on services in the country where the people live. On any given day approximately 500 patients from country South Australia are in a city hospital bed—in five hundred beds, I wish to point out. The geography and population distribution of our vast state mean that high-end, complex medical procedures and serious emergency work will always need to be undertaken in one of Adelaide's major trauma hospitals.

We cannot bring 500 country patients back home, but we can bring a substantial number of them back home. By increasing the number of procedures undertaken in the country we can help to reduce the burden of travel on country residents and lessen the demands placed on our busy city hospitals. An important component of increasing services is improving infrastructure. There are four major capital works projects in process at the following country locations: Ceduna, Berri, Whyalla and Port Pirie.

I will go through the details. Construction on the $36 million Ceduna Hospital redevelopment has commenced, and that hospital will be completed in March 2011. The entire project, which includes primary health facilities, will be completed by the following year. The design for the $41 million Berri Hospital redevelopment is being completed, and that project is scheduled for completion in 2014. Design work for the new $69 million joint state and commonwealth cancer facility at Whyalla has also begun. The $12.5 million GP Plus health care centre at Port Pirie will be completed in 2013.

In addition to these major works, a number of smaller capital works projects were undertaken in the past financial year. These include:

a new clinic at Oodnadatta for $1.1 million;

significant upgrade to the Wallaroo Hospital accident and emergency department at a cost of $1.2 million;

improvements to security and safety arrangements at the Gawler, Tanunda, Kapunda, Port Lincoln, Victor Harbor and Mount Gambier hospitals for about $450,000; and

nurse call systems were upgraded in nine hospitals—Elliston, Streaky Bay, Roxby Downs, Waikerie, Lameroo, Meningie, Wallaroo, Mount Pleasant and Gawler—at a cost of $837,000.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The Minister for Transport says, 'A great friend of the country.' In addition to improving facilities, we continue to increase the range of services available. Over the past 10 years, members would be interested to know, the number of people receiving haemodialysis in rural South Australia has increased from 14 to 88. There are now 40 haemodialysis chairs available in rural South Australia. Haemodialysis units can now be found in the following locations: Berri, Ceduna, Clare, Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Maitland, Whyalla and the South Coast. Most recently, a four-chair haemodialysis unit was completed at the South Coast District Hospital at a cost of $400,000.

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I am glad that the member for Finniss is expressing his gratitude for this additional service for his community. At least there is one country member who acknowledges the good work that this government is doing in their electorates. A four-chair haemodialysis unit—

Mr Venning interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The member for the Barossa is also acknowledging the good work we are doing in his area, and I appreciate that. A four-chair haemodialysis unit is currently being established at Port Pirie at a cost of $450,000, after a lot of persuasion provided by the member for that electorate. Country Health SA has improved renal services by establishing new staffing positions, which include a Clinical Director of Country Renal Services, who is assisted by a senior project manager to provide leadership in renal services right across country South Australia, and a renal rural clinical practice consultant to coordinate renal nurse training and address nursing issues across country South Australia.

Country Health SA has also recently improved cardiology services with the development of an integrated, digitally-based and statewide cardiac clinical management network. The system provides world-class integrated cardiac clinical management throughout rural South Australia, which will build on the already demonstrated improved health outcomes for cardiac patients in South Australia. This is a minor miracle. The work done by Phil Tideman and his team from the Flinders Medical Centre and the rollout of services right across country South Australia have meant the mortality of country South Australians from heart disease has declined quite dramatically.

The network enables accurate transmission assessment of critical electrocardiograms (ECGs), efficient comparison with past ECGs and access to these records by multiple health providers involved in the patient's care. Sixty-seven new ECG machines have been purchased by Country Health SA, so each Country Health SA hospital/health unit—

Mr Venning interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: —including the Barossa, has a brand new ECG machine. All Country Health SA hospital/health units can now send digital ECGs to an on-call cardiologist in Adelaide to view and interpret ECGs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is a superb service, which has been initiated in this state. We are also increasing the availability of chemotherapy services available in the country. In addition to the $69.3 million in state and commonwealth funding for a new regional cancer centre at Whyalla, the state government also won $5.4 million of commonwealth funding for 11 chemotherapy units across the state. This will support the Labor government's $5.9 million election commitment to introduce a new electronic oncology prescribing system and the necessary staff to ensure the delivery of more chemotherapy in the country.

Put simply, the commonwealth government is providing funds to build the infrastructure while we are providing the staff and the electronic software. This commonwealth funding will supplement state services in Mount Barker, Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, Victor Harbor, Clare, Murray Bridge, Gawler, the northern Yorke Peninsula, Naracoorte and Port Lincoln. In addition, state funding will provide services in Port Pirie and Berri.

I know that is a lot for members opposite to take in. The Rann Labor government has also committed $7.39 million for over 3,000 additional elective surgery procedures in country South Australia as well. We know that travelling to the city for medical care can increase the stress upon patients and their families at what is often a difficult time. By increasing the range of services available in country areas, we are reducing the need for country residents to travel in order to receive medical treatment. I thank the members opposite for their attention. I recognise there are lots of press releases in this for them to put out into their communities, and I would encourage them to do that. Spread the good news.