Country Health SA

In reply to Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (18 June 2015).

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries):

1. In country hospitals which do not have salaried medical officers, it is a requirement that patients who are not eligible for services under Medicare be admitted to hospital as a non-Medicare private patient. The hospital and medical charges are then raised separately by the health service and the respective private practitioner.

This arrangement has been in place for many years and generally relates to services provided to patients from overseas who have private travel insurance to cover such expenses.

Under the latest General Practitioner Agreement, Country Health SA Local Health Network negotiated an agreement whereby the fees for services provided by a local doctor to this group of patients would be collected on their behalf and subject to a collection fee only on amounts collected.

The doctors on Kangaroo Island have the same arrangement available to all other doctors across country South Australia providing similar services and are able to charge the patient for the services they provide.

When signing the 2010 version of the standard General Practitioner Agreement, local doctors signed a statement that the Agreement being entered into was the complete offer.'

1. Country Health SA Local Health Network have no record of a general practitioner with credentials in obstetrics having made such an offer.

An expression of interest was made by a general practitioner who indicated he may be prepared to undertake training in obstetrics, however, he was seeking a commitment on the viability of obstetric services in another 10 years.

Country Health SA Local Health Network is continuing discussions with this individual and the sole resident general practitioner with credentials in obstetrics and has been honest in that it cannot guarantee workforce and service certainty due to changing standards this far into the future.

The provision of a sustainable obstetric service on Kangaroo Island is important to Country Health SA Local Health Network and it will continue to work with the local private practice and rural workforce recruitment agency.