HOSPITAL STATISTICS

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Can the minister inform the house how South Australian public hospitals performed in the latest Australian Hospitals Statistics report released this week?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts) (14:37): This is a story that was too hot to publish in The Advertiser this week. I am very pleased to inform the house that a new national report released this week has reinforced the excellent care being provided in South Australia's public hospitals. The Australian Hospitals Statistics 2010-11 report (which I recommend to all members), published by the AIH&W, has reconfirmed the great results being achieved in our emergency departments and elective surgeries.

For example, 71 per cent of patients presenting to South Australia's emergency departments were seen on time in 2010-11, which was equal second nationally. This has further improved to 72 per cent in the period to March 2012. The median wait time to service in our emergency departments (that is when 50 per cent of people are seen) was 20 minutes, which is three minutes below the national average. South Australia rated second nationally on this indicator and it is the first time that our state has bettered the national average since routine reporting began. The median wait time has further fallen to March this year, and we are now sitting at 19 minutes, the lowest result ever achieved.

The median waiting time for elective surgery was 38 days in 2010-11, compared to the national average of 36 days. Performance has since improved again and we are now sitting, at March this year, at 34 days. Of course, this is against the backdrop of a significant increase in elective surgery procedures. In metropolitan hospitals alone, procedures have increased from 38,348 in 2002-03 to 46,433 in 2010-11. So there are more procedures being done more quickly.

Also, 90 per cent of all patients in South Australia were admitted for elective surgery within 208 days in 2010-11, 17.5 per cent below the national average of 252 days. So, 90 per cent of patients were seen within 208 days in our state. Waiting times for this measure have further improved to 184 days in the period to March 2012. That is a remarkable improvement in the running of our services.

In addition, the number of doctors working in our hospitals is 10.8 per cent above the national average, and the number of nurses is 7.4 per cent above the national average. Our state also has the highest number of public hospital beds per 1,000 (3.1 beds), which is 19.2 per cent above the national average—which, in part, explains why we spend a lot of money on our health system.

The state and federal governments have invested significant funds to improve waiting times in emergency departments and increase elective surgery procedures. However, it is those who work at the coalface of our health system who can be commended for these major improvements in health care. Thank you to our doctors, nurses, allied health staff and others who work in our public hospitals for their exceptional work and dedication. We have made huge improvements in the performance of the clinical services we provide to people in South Australia. We are not there yet; we still have a long way to go, but we have made great advances, and I am very proud of the system that I lead.