ENTERPRISE PATIENT ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (15:07): I do appreciate your indulgence, sir. Can the minister outline to the house what the time frame is for the rollout of the EPAS system to hospitals in country SA, as originally promised by the government, and can the minister outline whether this is included in the $408 million envisaged with the existing EPAS budget line?

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) (15:07): This is EPAS you are talking about, not Oracle?

Mr MARSHALL: Yes.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The original cabinet decision was for EPAS to be rolled out to several country hospitals, not all of them.

Mr Marshall: All.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: No, it was not. The original cabinet decision—

Mr Marshall: It was.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: No, don't mislead the house. The original cabinet decision was for EPAS to be rolled out, from memory, to I think Mount Gambier Hospital and at least one other hospital. It was never part of the original cabinet decision to proceed with EPAS, on the budget that was allocated for it—for it to be rolled out to all country hospitals. I can only go on what was in the original cabinet decision. There has been no change in the scope of the project since that original cabinet decision and the budget that was allocated to it. The budget that has been allocated to it is for EPAS to be rolled out to the hospitals as described in the contract.

Mr Marshall: So nothing for country SA?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: No. Last time I checked, Mount Gambier Hospital was in country South Australia. Maybe the member for Mount Gambier might be surprised to hear that the Leader of the Opposition does not consider Mount Gambier Hospital to be part of country South Australia, and there is another location. I think it might be Port Lincoln Hospital, but I will get back to the house—but it has always been the case. There has been no change in the scope of the project since the original cabinet decision was made with regard to which hospitals EPAS will be rolled out to.