Public Works Committee: Modbury Hospital Transforming Health Project

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (11:45): I move:

That the 530^th report of the committee, entitled Modbury Hospital Transforming Health Project, be noted.

This is the fourth and final project of this particular suite of Transforming Health projects. In assessing the facility requirements to support the Transforming Health initiative, and the South Australian health system more generally, the Modbury Hospital has been identified as requiring redevelopment including physical changes.

The role of the Modbury Hospital will change to allow for the expansion of general rehabilitation services inclusive of the outpatient services. It is also planned to expand the provision of ophthalmology diagnostic and treatment procedures. The project works are a combination of redevelopment, minor new works and infrastructure upgrade. Specifically, the project will include:

the repurposing of level 3 wards to create 32 rehabilitation beds, increased number of single and double rooms, increased number of ensuites, and provide for therapy space on the wards;

a new ambulatory rehabilitation centre composed of three pods: the generic treatment pod; the specialist treatment pod; and the hydrotherapy pod, which includes therapy gymnasiums, consultation spaces and the pool;

the provision of 770 square metres of ophthalmology diagnostic and treatment areas, subject to further consultation; and

the relocation and upgrade of some site infrastructure and the maintenance of appropriate car parking, with particular attention to disabled car parking, to service the new ambulatory rehabilitation facility.

The cost of these works is $32 million exclusive of GST.

Extensive consultation has occurred at the Modbury Hospital with clinical and non-clinical staff. In addition, consultation will occur with the City of Tea Tree Gully. A local communications work group will be established to facilitate communication with the internal and external stakeholders. Construction works are due to commence in January 2016, and the construction component is due to be completed by the end of that year.

Given this, and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY (Kavel) (11:47): I am pleased to speak to the report that the member for Elder is bringing to the house as the Chair of the Public Works Committee, in relation to different things occurring at Modbury Hospital. Part of my constituency looks to the Modbury Hospital for the provision of health services, particularly the northern part of the Kavel electorate.

I have listened to the member for Elder provide her contribution to the house and outline the significant works that are taking place at the Modbury Hospital, but the reality of this situation is that there are services being cut from the Modbury Hospital. I have raised this issue in the house previously. While I know it is against standing orders of the house to use materials as a display, I am going to use material that you, Deputy Speaker, as the member for Florey, put into your electorate some months ago.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You can mention it.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: I understand the member for Newland has put similar material into his electorate, outlining what services would be provided at Modbury Hospital. On this material that has been circulated in the Florey and Newland electorates, it states that cardiology and orthopaedic services will be provided. We know that the Minister for Health has recently announced that those two categories of health services are being withdrawn from the Modbury Hospital. The Hon. Stephen Wade (the shadow minister for health in the other place) put out a statement last week saying that the government has made a decision to transfer orthopaedic and cardiology services to the Lyell McEwin Hospital from the Modbury Hospital. That presents a number of questions.

One of the main questions I think all the constituency in the suburbs in that part of Adelaide (and, also, in part of the member for Schubert's electorate and my electorate) is: what does that mean in terms of providing a satisfactory level of health service if an emergency presents? If a patient presents at the emergency department with a heart attack, for example, is the Modbury Hospital able to perform emergency cardiac surgery given that the cardiology service is being transferred to the Lyell McEwin Hospital? Does that mean that that patient is put at potential risk, having to be put in an ambulance and driven 15 minutes out to the Lyell McEwin Hospital? We want to know the answers to these questions.

The leader asked a number of questions yesterday in question time about services and related issues at Modbury Hospital and we did not get very good answers, I have to say—just the usual spin and bluff and bluster that has been the hallmark of this Labor government over its 14-year term in government. Then the member for Florey asked a Dorothy Dixer—

Ms Bedford: I beg your pardon!

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: —of the Minister for Health.

Ms DIGANCE: Point of order.

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Hon. S.W. Key): Order!

Ms DIGANCE: It was a government question.

Ms Bedford interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Hon. S.W. Key): Order, member for Florey! Continue, please, member for Kavel.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Thank you, Acting Speaker. The member for Florey asked a Dorothy Dixer of the Minister for Health and he gave a long answer—

Ms Bedford: It was a supplementary question.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Hon. S.W. Key): Member for Florey, point of order.

Ms BEDFORD: It was a supplementary question, and the record should show that.

Members interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Hon. S.W. Key): Can I just ask for a bit of order? I am very aware of the sheet here that the Speaker has made available and I will be bringing down rules as harshly as he does. Could you please continue, member for Kavel; and please do not interrupt the member for Kavel while he is trying to make his presentation.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Thank you, Acting Speaker, for your protection, because we on this side of the house are very concerned and very interested in where this government is taking health in general; and I am very concerned, on behalf of my constituents who use the services at Modbury Hospital, where the government is taking the provision of services at the Modbury Hospital. That is my concern.

The members opposite can raise points of order and do what they like to try to obfuscate what we are trying to achieve on this side of the house, but it is probably one of the most important issues that South Australians face—apart from the economic shambles the show is in: that sits, probably, above this. It is critically important to understand what services will be provided once this Transforming Health process is completed.

In answer to the member for Florey's question, the minister says, 'SA Health will also hold community information sessions.' That is part of the quote in the minister's answer. What does that mean? Are we going to have a proper meeting in a community forum or are we just going to see another repeat of a couple of public servants with a couple of placards positioned out at Tea Tree Plaza or Tea Tree Plus, or somewhere like that, where people just passing by can ask questions? That is what we have seen as some pretty glaring examples of the government's community consultation process in relation to issues. Is it going to be just a couple of those pull-up stands that you hook up on top of the frame, with a couple of public servants out there to answer questions if perchance some concerned member of the community happen upon them and ask them some questions?

These are all very important issues. I know this is all a bit uncomfortable for the government members to deal with, but this is the reality of the situation because the government has form on these sorts of things—very poor form, I might say, in relation to its community consultation process. We have seen that over a myriad of issues over the last 14 years. I could go on forever about that, but my time is running out.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Hon. S.W. Key): You have three minutes.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Given that the member for Newland and the member for Florey have put this material into their electorate saying that cardiology and orthopaedics are services that Labor is delivering at Modbury Hospital, I expect them to actually put out some new material and state that those services will no longer be provided—because that is the reality of the situation.

These are serious issues. As I said, if somebody presents at the emergency department with a cardiac arrest, with a heart attack, and has to undergo emergency surgery, will the surgeons at Modbury Hospital be able to perform that, or will that patient have to potentially be put at a higher level of risk, put in an ambulance and transported to Lyell McEwin or the Royal Adelaide Hospital to undergo surgery? These are very important issues, critically important issues, the government needs to address and answer in an accurate and truthful manner.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (11:57): I am glad we have just mentioned truth because, as we all know, in any skirmish the first casualty is always the truth. I am afraid it is really sad that the members of the opposition see it necessary to keep peddling this fearmongering within the community. All you are actually doing is undermining important changes that are going on in health.

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order: I just ask you to rule on whether the member for Florey is actually discussing the report, which is what is tabled and being discussed.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Hon. S.W. Key): I think I gave the member for Kavel a wide berth, member for Finniss, so I would suggest that is not an appropriate point of order.

Mr TARZIA: Point of order.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Hon. S.W. Key): Point of order. Are you making a point of order out of your place? So, I do not recognise you. Sit down. Member for Florey, please.

Ms BEDFORD: If we are addressing the actual report we are talking about, which is the improvements being made at Modbury Hospital, there is not a person in this chamber who can deny that improvements are being made at Modbury Hospital. No-one has spent more time watching Modbury Hospital in the past 20 or more years than me. I have been the one who slept in the car park to keep the place open when you guys privatised the management and saw the running down of the place to almost non-operational—pardon the pun.

We have struggled in our community for many years to lift the reputation of the Modbury because the way you people talk no-one has ever left the place alive. I cannot have you do this and scare people anymore. The changes being made in our health system are being made because, as we all have to reluctantly accept, we cannot provide every single service at every hospital. If you accept that premise, then you have to see things change. Unless they change, they cannot be improved. That is what we are all working to do: improve the services available in all our hospitals.

The surety of services is really important. I am sure all of us have had to use hospitals on occasions. One of the things that really taught me a lesson was when my son had a stroke when he was eight and I rang a hospital and was told, 'Give him an aspirin. We're busy.' If that is the sort of thing you people want to look forward to in the future, then you continue saying that we cannot change a single thing. We have to change things so that centres of excellence exist. We now know that the Modbury Hospital—

The ACTING SPEAKER (Hon. S.W. Key): Member for Florey, would you like to seek leave to continue your remarks?

Ms BEDFORD: Well, I will have to. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.