COUNTRY HOSPITALS

121 Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (17 July 2012). With respect to 2012-13 Budget Paper 4, vol. 3, p. 57—

1. What is the status of the enterprise agreement with the rural doctors, when did the last agreement expire and when is the new agreement likely to be struck?

2. What is the likely outcome in regard to emergency department charges upon country patients?

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. Country Health SA Local Health Network and the Rural Doctors Association of South Australia have reached agreement on a new three-year contract for rural general practitioners (GPs).

The new agreement will continue to strengthen the working relationship between rural GPs and country health services.

Under the new agreement, there are a number of provisions that recognise the various demands and pressures placed on rural GPs.

South Australia will be the first State in Australia to offer a safe working payment. This provides some reimbursement for GPs if they are required to cancel private patients on a given day due to a busy workload the previous night providing after-hours emergency work.

The agreement provides increased financial compensation for GPs being called out of their practice at short notice, along with the traditional on-call payments for providing after-hours emergency services.

There is additional reimbursement for attending various quality and safety, and service planning meetings.

The agreement contains a commitment from Country Health SA Local Health Network to train rural GPs in the new Enterprise Patient Administration System. A payment has been offered to assist with the transition to electronic patient health records.

The new agreement between Country Health SA Local Health Network and the Rural Doctors Association of South Australia recognises the commitment and hard work of country GPs to provide safe, quality health care services for rural South Australians.

The Rural Doctors Association of South Australia is encouraging rural GPs to sign up to the new agreement, which expires on 30 November 2014.

2. Following confirmation with the Commonwealth Government, current longstanding arrangements for emergency services across South Australian rural and remote public hospitals are consistent with the National Health Reform Agreement and these will continue under the new agreement.

Patients presenting with an emergency condition who are in need of urgent medical attention and admission to hospital will continue not to be charged for these services.

Other services that are provided after hours by local GPs will remain a private arrangement that is financially supported through the Medicare system.