House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Answers to Questions Hospital Emergency Departments HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS Dr McFETRIDGE House of Assembly Morphett HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS 139 Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (27 July 2010). What measures have been undertaken to ensure there is 24 hour emergency treatment available in all public hospitals in regional areas across South Australia? The Hon. J.D. HILL House of Assembly Kaurna Minister for Health Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister for the Southern Suburbs Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS 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): I am advised: Every hospital in country South Australia has access to on-call medical support on a 24-7, 365 days basis. In the instance where a doctor may not be available locally, alternate arrangements are made to ensure that appropriate remote medical support is provided to nursing staff at the local health service. The availability of emergency medical cover is monitored on a daily basis by local health services. Across country South Australia there are approximately 100 doctors paid for being on-call in any given 24-hour period so as to provide an appropriate emergency response relevant to the local context. Doctors credentialed to provide emergency support receive continuing medical education and assessment to maintain their skills in the clinical domain relevant to the cover they provide. When there are difficulties experienced in providing appropriate medical cover by the local doctors, Country Health SA usually engages locum support based on the needs of the local community. A new agreement was negotiated with the Rural Doctors Association of South Australia in February 2010 with a strong emphasis on recognising the critical role that doctors have in supporting Country Health SA to meet its service obligations and the impost that being on-call presents to individual doctors. On-call payments were increased by 93 per cent for the majority of doctors providing on-call services for hospitals in country South Australia.'