ONCOLOGY SERVICES

Ms FOX (Bright) (14:34): My question is to the Minister for Health. What improvements are being made to oncology services at Mount Gambier Hospital as part of the government's election commitment to improve the range of services available locally for country South Australians suffering from cancer?

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) (14:34): I thank the member for her important question. I am very pleased to be able report that two rural cancer care coordinators have recently been appointed at Mount Gambier and will supplement more frequent visits from consultant medical oncologists who have also commenced working in that community.

Country Health SA's Director of Cancer Services, Dr Jacqui Adams, will now provide a twice monthly visiting oncology service at the Mount Gambier District Health Service, while Associate Professor Tim Price continues his remote telephone service to that community. Mount Gambier also continues to benefit from regular visits by the radiation oncologist, Dr Scott Carruthers. I take this opportunity to thank the doctors involved for their service commitment.

Dr Adams' visits will be supported with increased telemedicine facilities that will allow online videoconference consultations with cancer care coordinators in Mount Gambier and with specialists in Adelaide, further reducing the need for patients to travel to Adelaide—

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I wouldn't have thought this was amusing, to laugh at cancer care services in the South-East.

Dr Adams and cancer care coordinators, Rachel Walkom and Julie Campbell, will be welcome additions to that local team. Travelling long distances to receive cancer treatment can be extremely stressful for patients, as everybody here would understand, so having a visiting oncologist of Dr Adams' experience and stature available for their care in the South-East will make a real difference.

Patients will also benefit enormously from the appointment of the cancer care coordinators. These coordinators will work to make sure cancer patients receive integrated care, and by providing a single point of contact for referrals they can help make the experience of treatment easier to understand and negotiate.

The government is committed to providing quality health services closer to home for country residents. Our long-term strategic goal is to increase the range of services to ease the burden of travel on country people who do require medical care and to better utilise the health infrastructure that does exist in the country.

The 2010-11 budget committed $714.5 million to public health services in country South Australia. That was 13 per cent or $84.1 million more than the previous year. Of course, that 13 per cent was a greater increase in the statewide increase, which in itself was larger—10.5 per cent. In fact, spending on country public health services has increased by $334 million or 88 per cent, compared with 2001-02. We are investing in more elective surgery, cancer treatment and renal services in country hospitals to reduce the need for people to travel to Adelaide for routine care.

These services in Mount Gambier are, in part, funded by the 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.

In addition to the election policy, $69.3 million in state and commonwealth funding has been committed to a new regional cancer centre, as I am sure you would remember, Madam Speaker, at Whyalla. The state government has also won $5.4 million of commonwealth funding for 11 chemotherapy units right across South Australia. Put simply, the commonwealth government is providing funds to build the infrastructure, while we are providing the staff and the electronic software.

Government 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. On the point of Port Pirie, as the local member for Frome understands, Port Pirie has had an excellent cancer service that has been running there for a number of years.

I think they were providing about 25 per cent of the oncology services to country South Australians, not because there were more people with cancer in that community, but they had some infrastructure which is providing that service. Our goal is to learn from what has happened in Port Pirie and expand that service right across country South Australia. So, I do commend the hospital at Port Pirie and the staff there who have been running this service very successfully now for some time.

By improving the physical infrastructure, introducing new technical infrastructure, such as telemedicine and electronic prescribing systems, and increasing staff in country areas, country patients will be able to receive more and more complex levels of cancer services closer to home. This will alleviate the need for patients and their families to travel long distances and organise accommodation in what, as everybody would understand, are often very stressful times.