PATIENT ASSISTANCE TRANSPORT SCHEME

Mr BROCK (Frome) (14:20): My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Can the minister please comment on the statement in this morning's media regarding the unauthorised expenditure or rorts of moneys from the current PAT Scheme for which the scheme does not allow? Also to the minister: if this statement is correct, will these unauthorised expenditures be included in the public PATS budget?

As everybody is aware, I requested the review of the current PATS system and Dr Filby is carrying that out. My concern is that, if this is true, it may exclude eligible people from claiming from the scheme due to the budget being reached.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the Minister for Health, it is of course contrary to standing orders to ask whether reports in the media are true. The Minister for Health.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Kavel is called to order. We do not want a repeat of previous extreme disorder generated by him.

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) (14:21): I will not comment on the accuracy of those media reports, but I can thank the member for Frome for his question and of course his continuing interest in this topic. There is no doubt that the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) is an important service in his electorate and indeed all country electorates across the state.

PATS currently provides a partial reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs for those who need to travel more than 100 kilometres to access health services. In 2012-13, PATS partially reimbursed more than 40,000 trips. On Friday 30 August, while I was visiting the Riverland, I released the discussion paper prepared by the review for public consultation.

The PAT Scheme has been thoroughly reviewed by Dr David Filby, senior adviser to the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council, with Dr Filby looking into the main elements of the program including eligibility criteria, reimbursement rates and the application process. As members are aware, allegations have been raised about misuse of the PAT Scheme. As part of the PATS review, Dr Filby invited PATS staff to identify their issues with the scheme. In a media interview earlier today, Dr Filby said:

We asked the people who administer the scheme to identify some of their issues and, in doing that, they've identified some places where people have made inappropriate claims which they identified and weren't paid.

I emphasise that they were not paid. Dr Filby also advised, however, that attempts to misuse the scheme are not common. It saddens me that people would try to misuse the PAT Scheme in this way but it appears that, through the current PATS screening process, most invalid claims—indeed, all of them—are caught before they are paid.

It is pleasing that this issue has come to light as part of the review process. Since I announced the PATS review, discussions have already been held with a wide range of people during the development of the review paper. I have also received a large amount of correspondence from individuals in country areas which has been given to Dr Filby for his consideration as part of the review.

I now encourage all country South Australians who use the scheme to look at Dr Filby's discussion paper and to continue to provide comments. These comments will feed into his final report to me. The public and interested parties have until Friday 11 October to comment on the draft. Dr Filby's final report is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The review consultation paper can be found at www.countryhealthsa.sa.gov.au/PATS.

Mr Pisoni: Are you going to try and buy a black hat with the PATS?

The SPEAKER: Just before the leader commences, the member for Unley is called to order. Leader.