House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Health System HEALTH SYSTEM Mrs VLAHOS House of Assembly Taylor HEALTH SYSTEM Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Will the minister please advise what the national Report on Government Services released on 31 January by the Productivity Commission had to say about our health system in South Australia and for the people of Taylor? The Hon. J.J. SNELLING House of Assembly Playford Minister for Health and Ageing Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister for Defence Industries Minister for Veterans' Affairs HEALTH SYSTEM The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:50): The recently released Report on Government Services showed that the South Australian health system continued to outperform the rest of the nation in several key areas, such as emergency department performance and patient waiting times. Our public hospital emergency departments produced their best ever result in 2011-12, with 76 per cent of patients seen on time, which is higher than the national average of 72 per cent. This can be partly attributed to a successful campaign by SA Health, which significantly reduced the number of GP-type presentations to our emergency departments. The report also showed that we had the lowest national rate for the number of patients who waited more than a year for elective surgery and the highest number of available beds for public hospitals across the major cities, regional and rural areas. In my recent visits to metro and country hospitals, I was able to witness firsthand the dedication and professionalism of our hard-working staff, who are committed to providing high-quality care. This was highlighted in the report, with South Australia having the highest proportion of admitted patients who said nurses, doctors and specialists listened to them carefully and showed them respect. We were above the national average for patients reporting that they felt that nurses, doctors and specialists spent enough time with them. A key element of our statewide mental health reforms is about ensuring people have access to the right type of care, with the right staff and in the right setting. The report showed South Australia had the second highest rate of full-time equivalent mental health professional direct care staff, with 127.7 per 100,000 people in 2010-11, compared to the national average of 108.3 staff. Other key areas where South Australia excels include: the highest rate of all states for employed FTE nurses for 2011; the highest rate of all states for employed FTE medical practitioners in 2011; the second highest participation rate for cervical cancer screening; the highest rate of people over 65 vaccinated against influenza; the highest rate for people accessing the aged-care program, including access to Home and Community Care services, including for people with special needs groups; and the highest delivery hours in remote areas. As minister, I am committed to ensuring that we build on these great results to provide all South Australians with the health care that they deserve.