GP PLUS SERVICES

117 Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (17 July 2012). With respect to 2012-13 Budget Paper 4, vol. 3, p. 45—

1. What are the annual operating costs of each of the GP Plus service?

2. How effective have GP Plus Services been in reducing hospital admissions and how is that effectiveness measured?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts): I am advised:

1. As part of the GP Plus Health Care Strategy August 2007 (the Strategy), over 100 individual programs were funded in the 2011-12 financial year from the GP Plus Services Fund with the aim of reducing the demands on the acute hospital sector.

Funding of almost $70 million was invested in programs that provided hospital substitution and early discharge support ($16.8 million); health promotion ($15.8 million); chronic and complex disease management ($10.9 million); capacity for non-acute services such as geriatric care, rehabilitation and palliative care ($10.2 million); emergency department (ED) avoidance and the fast-tracking of patients through EDs ($4.2 million); specialist outreach and nurse-led services ($3.3 million); and the streamlining of hospital treatment for patients from rural and remote areas ($4.5 million).

Another important element of the Strategy is the network of GP Plus Health Care Centres (Centres) and two GP Plus Super Clinics (Clinics) that have been established across the State. Since 2006, six Centres (Aldinga, Morphett Vale, Marion, Woodville, Elizabeth and Ceduna) have been opened and plans are well advanced for another at Port Pirie. In partnership with the Commonwealth Government, two GP Plus Super Clinics have been opened at Modbury and Noarlunga.

The current combined core budget for these centres and clinics is just above $8 million, and several of these centres and clinics have also secured additional funds from the GP Plus Services Fund to offer specific programs.

2. The effectiveness of GP Plus Services in reducing the growth in hospital admissions is monitored through tracking the monthly volume of hospital separations and ED attendances for those conditions targeted by the Strategy. Program managers also report on the effect of the GP Plus Services on their clients. This includes an assessment of the hospitalisations and ED attendances that were avoided, and stays in hospital that were shortened for these clients.

Following the initial investment in GP Plus Services in 2007-08, the growth in targeted admissions has been well below the pre-strategy level, which was around 5 per cent.

The average annual growth rate for metropolitan hospitals has remained under 2 per cent over the last 4 years. Likewise, ED activity growth has reduced from a rate of above 5 per cent per annum, to an average growth rate of lower than 2 per cent over the same period.

These reductions have occurred despite Government investments to increase elective procedures, an increase in births, population growth and increasing trends in age, complexity and chronic disease.

Also, by freeing up inpatient beds through earlier discharge and through providing safe, appropriate alternatives to inpatient care, GP Plus Services have increased the capacity to provide additional elective surgery and have contributed to reduced waiting times for patients being admitted through ED.